Three Way Mirror
by teno-hikari
Summary: PART 1 Complete Takes place in the 'Aftershock' episodes. Slade has taken over the city, and all the Teen Titans, except Robin, has fallen. Can the boy wonder stop Slade alone? Or will Terra clip his wings? implied sladexrobin slash, robinxterra.
1. chapter 1

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Three Way Mirror

Written By: Teno Hikari 

email: teno_hikari@yahoo.com / tenohikari@cs.com

Summary: Takes place in the 'Aftershock' episodes. Slade has taken over the city, and all the Teen Titans, except Robin, has fallen. Can the boy wonder stop Slade alone? Or will Terra clip his wings? (Slade/Robin/Terra)

Disclaimer: Well you know what I'm gonna say, I own nothing. That includes the Teen Titans. ::walks off to go sulk in the corner::

Warning: Spoilers for the show - at least for the 2 seasons. 

Slash, Yaoi, M/M pairings. Adult situations. Mature readers only.

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Prologue

My name is Terra, and I've done horrible things. Betrayal and murder, are the most notable. I've done it all in the name of my Master, Slade. He has taught me well over the past months after taking me in. No longer will I have to drift around and search for a place to call home. No longer do I feel guilt over my past mistakes caused by uncontrollable powers.

I've learned to control my abilities that had once been both a blessing and a curse. Master Slade has offered me everything I could want. All at the cost of my former friends: the Teen Titans. 

It was an easy price to pay.

They had accepted me as one of their own. I loved them for that... and yet, at the same time I loathed. They would never understand me. As soon as I stepped out of line, they would abandon me. Reject me. Just like everyone who came before.

I don't need them. Not even Beast Boy, my closest friend among the group of do-gooders. Now, four of the five Titans haven been taken down. Cyborg, Raven, Starfire and Beast Boy, all of them are in Master Slade's private collection. Frozen forever in a crystalline statue. A fitting end for those trusting fools. They're nothing but life-sized trophies now. 

Heh, I wonder what Robin would think of that when I tell him. Yes, Robin, the Titan one who got away. Master Slade will not be satisfied, not even with the city in his control, until his former apprentice is brought in. Alive.

'Oh, Robin, Robin, Robin... Why do you have to be so stubborn?' Master Slade would murmur in the dark. I have to agree, it's kind of pathetic. The odds are against you, lone Titan. Do you think you can hide from both me and Master Slade, forever? You can run, but you can't hide... 

In less than a week, I have taken down any who stood in the way, and brought the city to our mercy. Everyone has evacuated. The streets have been combed out and all buildings have been searched. Security cameras monitor each sector. It's only a matter of time, Robin.

Other than the constant marching of Master Slade's army of androids, it's so quiet now. Almost like a graveyard. That is until I pick up the sound of a motorcycle. 

I can't help but smile, while quickly dodging blaster fire as it takes out the nearest androids closest to me. Come on, Robin, you have to do better than that. Using my powers, the ground shifts and breaks apart. 

Robin quickly skids the bike to a halt, while the earth under my feet becomes a pedestal, raising me up. I have to admit it feels great, looking down on him. Towering over the leader of the Teen Titans. Master Slade's first choice. 

"Wow, Robin," I greet with a friendly, yet false, smile. "You actually had the gall to come out of your little hidey hole and fight me!"

The eyes slits in Robin's mask narrow. I could understand that he was pissed. But really, riding up to fight me and an army of androids at my disposal, alone? How dumb can you be?

"I didn't come to just fight you," he says with his usual fierce determination. "I came to stop you."

Was he joking?! I break into a fit of laughter, holding my sides. "S-Stop me? Robin, in case you haven't figured it out yet. You don't have a chance. But... thanks for sparring me the time to hunt you down."

He charges at me and my powers wrap around my fists like boxing gloves. Come on and fight me, Robin. I can't wait to complete Master Slade's "Teen Titan" collection.

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Chapter One

The street was littered with the robotic corpses of Slade's androids, as the two remaining Teen Titans stared each other down. Angry storm clouds had gather above them, and lightning strikes without warning. It begins to rain, drenching them both, but neither of them pay any attention. 

"Not bad, Robin," Terra admitted with a small hint of admiration, brushing her damp blonde hair from her eyes. It was easy to see why Master Slade had wanted Robin. Still wants him. The "Boy Wonder" certainly lived up to his title.

Bo-staff clenched tightly in one hand, Robin strained himself to keep focus on the enemy before him. His enemy. It was only a month ago they had worked side by side. Only for a short time, but he and his other friends, had accepted Terra as one of their own. 

He should have known, nothing is ever what it seems.

Robin remembered all those times they hung out together. She had fought alongside them, and earned their trust (Including Raven's). They adored her, as did Beast Boy, who's last request was to give Terra a second chance. 

It was all a lie. She had been working with the enemy, and was determined to destroy them. One by one, she and Slade's other cronies had picked off his friends. Robin, no longer saw Terra as the innocent girl he wanted to recruit. Now, she was nothing but a traitorous, murdering, bitch.

Growling, Robin charged suddenly - feigning to the left and attack from the right. He whirled his weapon over his head and struck her down. The earth-mover cried out in shock as she was knocked off her pedestal. 

Hitting the ground hard, Terra's eyes widened when she saw the weapon raised again above the masked fighter's head. Quickly she rolled out of the way before the staff embedded into ground beneath her. The former Titan smirked, and pushed herself up, kicking him in the jaw as she cart wheeled away.

Robin grunted but managed to pull his retractable bo-staff free. Whirling it again, as large chunks of concrete were hurled at him. He used it to strike them down with deadly accuracy, while slowly walking toward her. At the same time, using his high-density polymerized titanium cape, to shield him from the debris.

He kept advancing as Terra continued her assault, launching more and more rock projectiles at him. 

"You can't keep this up, Robin," the girl shouted over the sound of crumbling rocks and dirt. "Sooner or later, I'll get you." 

'Not if I get you first.'

Robin continued to move, remembering his excessive training in situations like this. It was best to stay on one's feet no matter what. Once you were knocked down, you were out. 

Her large blue eyes followed the boy as he sprinted away, dodging, flipping over, and rolling away from her attacks. She ground her teeth together in irritation, before switching to another method. Concentrating hard enough, the entire ground underneath Robin's feet, was lifted high into the air. 

She grinned as stone projectiles swarmed around her target. "Gotcha now."

Dodge-rolling out of the way as the rocks came crashing down over his head, Robin said nothing. Instead he quickly selected a bird-a-rang from his utility belt. He did a running leap off the large slab of floating side walk, before hurling razor-tipped boomerang towards Slade's apprentice. 

'Gotcha.'

Terra screamed in pain as one of the razor sharp tips cut the side of her face, drawing blood. Her concentration broken, all the rocks that had once been levitated, crashed to the ground. Falling to her knees, she held the side of her face with one hand, shooting Robin a glowing amber death glare.

"YOU...!"

Catching his bird-a-rang in one hand, Robin gave her a small, satisfied at the crimson fluid that covered her fingers. "That's nothing compared to what you did to my friends, traitor." 

Growling with rage, she extended her hand out and ripped another piece earth from the ground. She levitated the large rock over Robin and released it. The part of the city that served as their battle ground, was beginning to look like a huge ditch. Buildings began to topple around them, crashing into other buildings like a set of dominos. 

"DIE!" 

There was suddenly a blinding flash of light that erupted out of nowhere. Terra quickly raised her arm and shielded her eyes. She heard the rock slam into the ground before it shattered apart. 

"Apprentice, report!" Slade demanded over her comlink. 

When the light died down, Terra slowly made her way to the large pile of rubble, hoping Robin's battered body lay beneath it. She made the small stones part and began to dig. Her victory was short lived, as she couldn't spot a trace of the older teenager. 

"He got away..."

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'He got away...'

Slade's visible eye narrowed dangerously at those words of failure, from his new apprentice. There was clearly much he had to teach her. Had it not been for her amazing, earth moving abilities, he wouldn't have wasted his time. 

"Terra."

"Yes, Master Slade?"

"Return."

The real prize had slipped through his grasp once more. Even without the aid of his little friends, the Titan leader could still possibly pose a threat. Almost a year ago, Robin had been his apprentice. His almost perfect little servant.

While he taught the boy patience; Robin had taught Slade a lesson as well. He had underestimated his opponent. Believing he had Robin and Titans right where he wanted them. His former apprentice had turned the tables, playing on what they both had in common: neither of them could stand to lose. Slade had almost lost completely that day.

The masked criminal mastermind, had been close, very close to loosing Robin forever. Watching the boy put his own life on the line by infecting himself with those lethal nano-scopic probes. It was a lose-lose situation. 

He had to give Robin credit for that little victory. But never again. Slade vowed he would have his true apprentice at his side once more. Nothing would part the two of them again, not even death.

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Robin returned to his lair before dawn, after he had managed to escape Terra and the rest of Slade's androids. He padded stiffly over to an enormous instrument panel, pausing to stretch and wipe the remnants of sleep from his eyes. As he sank into the leather chair, he reached out and tapped a few commands into his computer and waited. 

This computer system was rather out-dated compared to the technology he had access to in the Tower. He never expected he would be using it again. Or living here again either. "Sanctuary" he had named it a long time ago. 

Leaning back in his seat, Robin spun around once and frowned distastefully as his new home. It was too dark, and far too quiet. The only noise he ever heard was the rustle and squeaking of the bats that also lived there. 

Before founding the Teen Titans, Robin had once been a loner after leaving Gotham City. He had adopted the same kind of dwellings as his former teacher, living in the darkness of a bat cave. Accustomed to spending his time alone to brood, when he wasn't stopping criminals. He had pushed away people before they got to close. 

He was Robin, after all, a close associate to the legendary Batman. His secret was not his own. If anyone were to learn his identity, it wouldn't take much to expose his mentor's to the public. So he swear to himself he would never tell anyone, or let anyone see his face behind the mask.

When he moved into the Tower with his other teammates, everything had changed. Robin himself had changed. It was the first time he had friends close to his age, whom were perfectly fine with the fact that he wear a mask. The first time, he allowed himself to 'act his age' so to speak. Playing video games, going out to dance clubs, hanging out; these were all things he never had back in Gotham. 

Then... just like that, everything had been taken away from him. Again. First his parents, and now his friends. Robin regrets keeping his identity from the other Titans. They were his family, he should have at least trusted them. Batman would have understood. Instead, they died never knowing his name.

He knew they were dead even though he never saw their bodies, he could feel it somehow. They cried out to him, maybe they even blamed him. Why hadn't their leader protected them like he should have? 

Before his mind could spiral even further into his grief and guilt; his computer beeped insistently. Turning back to his screen, Robin wiped away the thin film of tears. Enough. He promised himself he wouldn't open himself up to grieve until he avenged his friends. 

Sitting up, Robin read the results with some satisfaction. At least his small and rash attack on Slade's new apprentice, wasn't a total failure. She was right about one thing, Robin alone didn't have a chance. No, defeating the Titan traitor had not been his objective that night.

Terra wasn't Slade, but she was just as ruthless as him. The girl wasn't that great at hand-to-hand combat, but she made up for it with those damned geo-kinetic powers of hers. Had he not equipped a blinding grenade in his utility built, she would have stoned him to death. 

"I won't die," he swear to himself. "Not until I make them pay."

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Author's Notes: Review, please?


	2. chapter 2

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Three Way Mirror

Written By: Teno Hikari

email: tenohikariyahoo.com / tenohikarics.com

Summary: Takes place in the 'Aftershock' episodes. Slade has taken over the city, and all the Teen Titans, except Robin, has fallen. Can the boy wonder stop Slade alone? Or will Terra clip his wings? (Slade/Robin)

Disclaimer: Well you know what I'm gonna say, I own nothing. That includes the Teen Titans. ::walks off to go sulk in the corner::

Warning: Spoilers for the show - at least for the 2 seasons.

Slash, Yaoi, M/M pairings. Adult situations. Mature readers only.

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Chapter Two

Terra grimaced as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. A single, but ugly, cut caused by Robin's bird-a-rang, marred the pale skin on her face. Beneath it was a swollen purple bruise that Slade himself had rewarded his apprentice for her failure. Meeting her visible eye in the mirror, she automatically flinched and pictured his.

An image of Slade's entire mask appeared in her mind. She winced and remembered returning from the fight, he had struck her down with one backhand hit. Glaring at her crumpled form on the floor with his single, visible eye.

[ "Why is it... that some can kill two birds with one stone," he murmured with false parental affection, absently stroking her stinging cut. "Yet you, who have all the stones at your disposal, cannot take down even one little robin?]

One 'little robin' indeed. Damn Robin. Why couldn't she defeat him? Destroying the other Teen Titans had been a freaking cakewalk compared to their leader. Who is, as far as she knew, an ordinary human being. He may have been the leader of the team, but he never had to deal with the ordeal of controlling an extremely dangerous power like her.

She couldn't give Slade a decent answer. Then again she hadn't need to, as he stalked off and left her alone. Obviously pissed, but not just at Terra's failure. He seemed to be mad at something else. Perhaps it was because he thought knew Robin like the back of his metal-gloved hand. The Boy Wonder had done something unexpected, perhaps he was planning something, and Slade could not put his finger on what it was.

'Perhaps,' she wanted to shout out loud before Slade had left. 'Maybe you and Robin aren't as similar as you think.'

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How long had he sat alone in the darkness of his cave? Robin did not know if it had been only minutes or hours. It was also deathly quiet. Not even the soft hum of his computers, as he had turned them off in order to conserve generator power. For all Robin knew, he could be living in this cave for a long, long time until he defeated Slade. Which wasn't going to happen if he just sat there and contemplated how bored he was.

Finally, he pulled himself up and out of the chair which had served as his bed these past few days. He hadn't had time to really explore the small the living area, apart of his hideout. He knew there were at least two bed rooms, one bathroom, and a tiny kitchenette. It was no Titan Tower, but of course, better than nothing.

After all, there was no way Robin could take residence anywhere else. Not with android armies marching the streets on patrol. The entire population of the city had evacuated and left their homes behind. Where they went, he didn't know.

They probably fled to other cities like Metropolis or Gotham. There were times when Robin had to sneak out to gather supplies. While avoiding the heavily armed non-human soldiers, he wondered if he should have left to.

But Robin knew that was an impossibility, and unforgivable. Abandoning Jump City would betrayal. This was his home, he may have resided in Gotham most of this life, but his fondest memories had been at Titan Tower. In this city. With his friends.

[ Yo, Rob! Come on, let's go cruisin' in the T-Car and get some pizza! ]

[ We are going to journey to the mall of shopping. You must join us, Robin! ]

[ Hey dude, the new movie: "Attack of the Booger Aliens" is finally out! We gotta go see it tonight! ]

[ Please, tell me we're not going to see a movie with the word "Booger" in the title. ]

With a deep growl of frustration, Robin kicked his chair across the room. Wishing it was Slade he could unleash his fury on. God dammit. Even an android replica of Slade would have been enough.

Turning away in disgust, the Boy Wonder headed towards the living quarters. He was hungry and tired, yet he doubted he could let himself rest. If Slade learned of this hideout somehow, he would have to evacuate immediately. To where, he didn't know, but he'd think of that later.

Switching on the lights, Robin quickly shielded himself from some angry bats who weren't pleased as the light disturbed their sleep. 'Think they own the place.'

The kitchenette seemed smaller than before. Walk-in closets in the Tower bedrooms, were bigger than this. There was two small counters along the wall that had held a mini fridge, a microwave, an electric stove, and a sink.

One wall alone had been the pantry, where he had stocked rations and some food utensils upon his arrival. The current food supply consisted of what he could gather himself. Inside the fridge was a few bottles of milk, some of Starfire's edible leftovers, and Beast Boy's tofu chicken nuggets. In the pantry, there was also a couple twelve-packs of root-beer and about three cases of canned SpaghettiOs.

Using one of his bird-a-rangs as a can opener, he plopped his dinner in a tupperware container and let it cook in the microwave. God, he already missed going out for pizza. Especially pizza with the rest of the team. SpaghettiOs and cheesy macaroni was normally reserved for rainy days, or when they were too lazy to go out.

Speaking of going out, he had to be extra cautious in making his next move. Spy cameras were probably all over the city by now. Without a doubt, as soon as he was spotted, squads of Slade's army would be all over him. Leaning against the counter, Robin tapped his fingers against his chin in thought.

Maybe he could somehow use those cameras, and get into Slade system before shutting it all down together. Definitely a possibility. Though Robin doubted the technological resources he had now to work with. Even if he managed to pull it off, what would stop Slade from finding out and tracing it back to Robin's new hideout?

Was it a risk he could afford to take right now? If he lost Sanctuary, he would have no choice but to leave Jump City. Surrender was not an option.

Especially not to Slade.

The microwave beeped signaling that his dinner was done. As good as the 'ultimate pasta in a can' smelled right now, he just left it there. Thinking of his former 'master', had yet again ruined his appetite.

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"Keep going!"

"I... I don't think I can..."

"You can and will, dammit! They're catching up!"

A trio of young teenagers continued to move down the length of the dark sewer passage, with a groups of android soldiers in pursuit. They continued to turn corners, not knowing exactly where they were going, just needed to give their robotic pursuers the slip. Unfortunately, there was too many of them to lose all together.

In the lead, a young girl quickly skidded to a halt and whipped around, raising her hand in the enemy's direction. A brilliant hex escaped her finger tips, automatically striking the valves close by. Water and steam erupted from the pipes, giving cover.

Her glowing magenta eyes narrowed. She could see shadows that must have been the robots move through the thick smoke. Before the young sorceress could shoot another hex bolt, a large hand fell on her thin shoulder. Looking up, her giant companion shook his head, his red main plastered the side of his face with sweat and blood.

"Too many of them," he answered gruffly. "Have to run."

She nodded mutely, also glancing at the small moaning bundle resting in the crook of the giant's arm. They were in no condition for another fight. Together, they managed to put some distance between themselves and the robots. Though the heavy footsteps that echoed throughout the sewer tunnels indicated that soldiers had no intention of giving up the chase.

"Any luck with the distress signal?" the giant asked the figure in his arms. There was another painful groan, followed by the shaking of a head.

"Nothing..." was the hoarse reply, followed by a small fit of coughs. "We're... we're screwed, aren't w-we?"

"Just hang in there, and keep trying."

'I can't believe it,' thought the girl, leading them all to yet another sewer corridor. Hoping they would reach an exit soon. Despite the fact that it probably wouldn't do them much good. There had to be thousands of robots all over the city right now.

'Maybe the rumors were true after all...'

"Oh shit," one of her companions hissed. "More of them!"

She charged up her powers once more.

'The Teen Titans really are dead.'

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'God I miss pizza,' Robin mentally complained again, taking in another spoonful of re-heated SpaghettiOs. He had been living off this stuff for a couple days now. It was a bit surprising he could eat at all in the first place.

The Boy Wonder knew he should have been working obsessively to try and get into Slade's system. Destroy it and the criminal mastermind himself. After taking over the city in a matter of days, he didn't believe Slade was planning on stopping there.

Powering on the computers again, Robin blinked as numerous distress messages appeared before his eyes, nearly taking up the screen. They were all for the Teen Titans, begging for help at some location. A map was presented for convenience, and on it a glowing red dot that began to move.

Robin frowned. This had to be Slade's doing. Did the masked criminal think he was that naive? The location was across town, an area heavily patrolled with tight security. His lips twitched into a tiny grin as he could see Beast Boy dancing before his eyes, singing: 'Welcome to it's a Trapsville! Population: You!'

There was no way in hell that he was going to waltz right into Slade's cage. .

Looking away, he placed his unfinished dinner on the floor. If he didn't plan on going back out that night, then he would do the next best thing. Doing something productive, like re-stocking his utility belt. Or the whole figuring out how he could spy on his enemy.

'But… what if…?'

Robin jerked. Something in the back of his mind, was yelling at him. Almost against his will, he turned to look at the distress messages once more. 'This is a trap,' he tried to convince himself. 'It has to be!'

'But what if it isn't?' the voice in back of his head asked, much to his growing annoyance. 'What if someone really does need your help?'

That's stupid. There was no one left in the city. All the people, law enforcement and civilians alike, were forced to evacuate. Everyone was gone. Slade had made it clear in his public announcement, that for anyone who remained, there would be no mercy. There would be no escape.

'But you're still here,' the voice pointed out.

What if there were people still left in the city? What if someone really did need his help? Was he going to let paranoia keep him from his duty as a defender?

"Hell," Robin cursed out loud. Standing up, he fastened on his utility belt before turning towards the exit. It seemed his curiosity and conscience had both managed to tag-team him again.

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It was still raining, dark clouds continued loom in the sky, keeping the sunshine at bay. Robin bitterly wondered if Slade had purposely put them there, as another way to state his claim. It didn't have sounded so ridiculous, considering his arch nemesis seemed capable of anything.

Nearly an hour later, Robin had finally caught up to the moving dot on the map. But as he leapt from building to building, there had been no sign of a chase or struggle any where on the streets. There was, however, a large group of soldiers holding their position on one corner.

His booted feet made little noise on the roof as he walked, so the androids didn't notice his approach. Dropping into a crouch, he remained silent as the robots looked his way. Holding his breath, he waited for them to make the first move.

They looked away.

Robin let out a small inaudible sigh. Common sense had managed to convince him to go back and change into his old Red X costume. Well, minus the cape that had been damaged before he could reveal his identity. He didn't know why he bothered to keep the suit after that. The stealth cloaking in the suit was certainly helpful, making him invisible to the human eye and most scanners.

'I should leave,' he thought. Looking around, he took in every detail, focusing on anything that moved. All that moved were the androids, certainly were a lot of them around. Their movements ceased a few minutes later, as if they were ordered to wait for something. Seeing no sign of humans in this sector, he turned to head back to Sanctuary.

'Told you it was a trap,' common sense snapped at him.

That was until a thunderous explosion came from behind. On reflex, he dived for cover. He turned around, hearing the muffled sound of laser fire, cautiously looking over the edge. An ambient fog coming from an open manhole had covered the entire road. Street lamp lights suddenly blinked out, leaving the entire block almost pitched black.

With his own scanner equipped inside the skull-faced mask, Robin was able to see a fight going on through the haze. Two human forms could be outlined. A slender figure of a young female, and the other was tall and bulky. He blinked, two fighting against all those soldiers?

'See! Someone needs your help after all!'

Standing up, Robin fired his grappling hook to wrap around a flagpole on an opposite building, and swung down. Arm outstretched, he fired a red energy net from the X padding on his palm, immobilizing the closest opponents. Upon releasing the handle, he did a flip in midair before firing at enemy soldiers with his outstretched hands.

Landing neatly before the ones, who supposedly sent him that distress message, he shouted for them to run without even facing them. Thankfully, they complied to his order and he followed them out of the fog. Pulling another blinding grenade from the utility belt, he tossed it over his shoulder and didn't look back.

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Feedback Response:

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Agent182 (Fanfiction.net) - Thank you so much for being the first to review this story! I was worried that the slash content would scare readers away.

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dracoproudtobeslytherin (AdultFanFiction.Net) - Yay! Another review! ## - I've been writing rather obsessively due to insomnia and rewatching my favorite episodes over again. Anyway, thanks so much for the feedback - just started chapter 3. My beta-reader is going to have her hands full ;

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Author's Notes:

I hope you've noticed that the tables have been turned for Robin and Slade. When the Boy Wonder was obsessed trying to figure out what exactly Slade was planning. Also, to be honest - I have no idea what the name of the city in which the Teen Titans live in. So I selected a result from GOOGLE and found: 'Jump City'. Also I know there are several grammar mistakes for both chapters... they will be Beta-read, I promise.


	3. chapter 3

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Three Way Mirror

Written By: Teno Hikari

email: tenohikariyahoo.com / tenohikarics.com

Summary: Takes place in the 'Aftershock' episodes. Slade has taken over the city, and all the Teen Titans, except Robin, has fallen. Can the boy wonder stop Slade alone? Or will Terra clip his wings? (Slade/Robin)

Disclaimer: Well you know what I'm gonna say, I own nothing. That includes the Teen Titans. ::walks off to go sulk in the corner::

Warning: Spoilers for the show - at least for the 2 seasons.

Slash, Yaoi, M/M pairings. Adult situations. Mature readers only.

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Chapter Three

Despite the cold wind and rain, Robin was sweating underneath his guise as Red X. He could hear the mechanical wheeze of his mask's respirator, along with the panting breaths of the ones who followed him. They had been running down several street blocks, taken several twists and turns through alleys, until finally losing sight of their pursuers.

"H-How much further...?" rasped the girl trying to keep up with him. "And who the hell are you?"

He didn't have time to answer, or even give her a second glance. Quickly, he skidded to a halt, placing his hand up to gesture the others to do the same. As much as the teenager wanted to catch his breath, he had to hold it, picking up the sound of yet another android squad approaching.

Damn. No escape that way. Couldn't go back down the east end. Was there any other way to reach Sanctuary?

The three of them silently took cover behind a dumpster in a dead end alleyway. If it were just Robin, this would have been easy. All he would have had to do was go invisible and walk out. He doubted his companions were so lucky.

He heard a small scuffle beside him, and quickly glanced to see the girl trying to wrench her hand free from the giant. Her other companion, who practically had to squat down on the concrete to hide himself from view, shook his head. Nodding down to the small bundle - no, a person - unconscious in his arms, he shook his head again. Finally, the Sorceress relented and lowered her hand, shivering as she braced herself.

Peering around the dumpster, Robin caught sight of enemy squad. His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets at the sheer number of soldiers lined up in perfectly straight lines. It was as if he were watching a parade, one that seemed to go on forever. How and when did Slade manufacture all of these?

They continued to wait patiently. Remaining perfectly still and quiet, even with the harsh weather beating down upon them. The ones he had left Sanctuary to assist, were huddled together, trying to keep warm.

Every few minutes, Robin had to make sure the others remained conscious. He wasn't able to study them at the moment, but was content that all three of them were still breathing and alert. If they didn't find decent shelter soon, they would catch their deaths out here. One way or another.

It felt like hours later, when he spotted the last of the black-armored clad soldier pass the alley by, Robin stood up. Then quickly scrambled back down as single, but louder footsteps echoed across the entire street. A much larger and threatening form had lagged behind.

Cinderblock. One of Slade's mutant criminal subordinates. Just another puppet. From the look of it, the solid killer rock had grown in massive proportions with an extra set of arms. It was obvious he had been upgraded somehow. Cinderblock looked ten-times stronger than before. If possible, even ten-times uglier.

As the hulking mass of moving rock ascended up the road and no longer in sight, Robin signaled to his companions. Thankfully they were still awake, despite the weary and sick expressions on each of their faces. How long had they been on hunted down by Slade's army?

Narrowing his eyes, Robin resisted the urge to run and chase the enemy down. Nothing better than blind attack from behind. He hated hiding like this. Hated this weakness, and the fact that no matter how strong the enemy got, he remained the same.

'No,' he thought angrily. 'Never the same. Never again.'

If he planned to stop Slade, and for good this time, he would have to eliminate any who would prove to be a threat. After all... you couldn't throw a punch if all your fingers were broken. The Boy Wonder would find a way to deactivate all those damn robots.

Then there was the rest of Slade's henchman. Cinderblock, Plasmus, Overload. Terra. Robin seethed under his mask, thinking about the traitor who had lived among his friends while they still lived.

No more second chances.

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For an instant, static filled the monitor but it rapidly dissolved into a split screen of text and image. Slade, sat back on his throne like chair, one visible eye looking over data displayed before him. So, aside from the last teen Titan, there were a few idiots who did not clear out from his city.

Apparently there was a pursuit in the sewers that had lasted several hours until the targets had gotten away. Interesting, not many could outrun his foot soldiers. Not ordinary human beings, these vermin were.

Standing perfectly still beside Slade, stood the masked man's aid. Wintergreen. An elderly gentleman, who's stark white three-piece suit, not only made him stand out in the dim-lighted room, but out of place altogether. Bending down, he set a cup of coffee on the arm of the chair.

"This is only the beginning," Slade nodded to his six-panel split screen that showed all sectors of Jump City. Once a vibrant city filled with life. Always protected by the young heroes who resided in a T-shaped building. The masked criminal mastermind had been successful in exploiting the youths. Their unity had collapsed, and so did the threat of the Teen Titans. No, this was not Jump City anymore. This was now a No-man's land.

"Once everything is taken care of here. We shall move on, and expand." Slade spoke his sentences with a slow intensity. It made him simultaneously engaging and authoritative. Wintergreen nodded mutely in understanding, looking up at the information on the monitor.

"Hmm... It seems quite a few cameras from Sector D have gone offline in the past few hours," Slade mused as he typed in a few commands on his control panel. The monitor went blank for a few moments as he enrouted information from the remaining cameras, placing them all up on the monitor. "Those little sewer rats managed to call for outside assistance it seems."

Wintergreen was at a loss, not understanding how Slade had come up with such a conclusion. The digital footage displayed on the screen, all eight of them, showed no one. No sudden movement whatsoever, nothing but some rooftops and the dull gray storm clouds in the background.

Rewinding the recording, Slade played it again and paused to freeze frame, before enlarging it. With a metal and leather gloved hand, he tapped on a faint, but distinct outline. The fact that Slade had seen it right a way, was proof of his enhanced senses.

"Right here."

Zooming in even closer, both men were clearly able to see the outline was indeed a humanoid figure. With another command entered into his computer, the background was removed. The outline was ran by a few scanners until it was completely filled in.

"Interesting," Slade purred almost seductively, as if his aid were not in the room. "I never thought Red X would appear again."

Completely clothed in black from head to toe, the stealth thief's costume looked very similar to Slade's androids. With the acceptance of the menacing white half-skull on the mask front. He wear his trademark 'Red X' on the skull's forehead.

"Who is this?" Wintergreen spoke finally, curious at Slade's interest. "Another Teen Titan?"

Leaning forward, Slade's single eye focused completely on the frozen visual of Red X's face. No, just a mask over another one. How amusing.

"Oh, you could say that..."

--------------------------

They found shelter in a five-story parking garage just above Robin's lair. The androids in that sector had completed their rounds and marched back to their posts. All immediate danger had long since passed, but no one seemed relieved.

It had continued the pour, and when they finally made it back, Robin was completely soaked. Not to mention dead on his feet. Wishing for the hundredth time that night, that he had finished repairs on his R-cycle. Or at least got it to run again.

"So tall, dark, and creepy-looking, you got a name?"

Turning his head and attention towards the girl, he was surprised how up close and personal she was being. Her magenta eyes were practically glowing and for a moment he wondered if she was trying to see through his mask. Angrily he pushed her away.

The push must have caught her by surprised. She cried out, unable to regain her balance. Cursing under his breath, Robin caught her before she hit the ground.

"What's wrong?" he asked, wearily. "You were doing all those cartwheels and back flips during the chase."

The girl in his arms struggled, and gave him a short glare, before wincing in pain. Robin automatically released her when the giant stalked forward, letting her lean against him. Robin blinked, those two, including the little sleeping midget boy, were starting to look awfully familiar.

"I'm not a robot, you know," she informed him, wringing out the water in the tattered purple goth-styled baby doll dress she wear that covered dark leggings. Trying to stand on her own again, she wobbled and hissed. "I must have sprained my ankle."

Robin uttered a small apology, but was relieved to know that they were normal human beings. Okay, not so normal - but living thinking humans. Not some metal puppets that had dominated the city.

Absently, he tapped the side of his mask and studied them. There was something about their stance. The way the three stood (minus the little guy) together. It was like a battle formation...

[ 'This is attack pattern alpha' ]

A light bulb switched on above Robin's head.

"The H.I.V.E."

They were a trio of fighters, the teen remembered. Ones who had beaten the Titans and briefly stole their tower. It had been a wake-up call for his team to start working together. And together, they kicked these three out of their home and into prison. It was a day to remember, and the first time the Teen Titans had heard the name of their arch-nemesis.

[ 'Who is Slade?' ]

"We were calling for the Teen Titans," the giant - Mammoth, if Robin remembered correctly - said hoarsely. "You one of them?"

So this girl, the Sorceress, is Jinx. The unconscious bundle resting in the crook of Mammoth's arm must be Gizmo. It was a little hard to tell, the boy's face looked like one big bruise.

Slade's agents.

Robin frowned under his second mask. This had to be the hateful man's trap after all. He had anticipated Robin's emotions. Knowing his former apprentice would put his own life on the line for others.

Fuming, he tried to turn invisible and heard a small glitch in the device. It must have been all the rain. His bike wasn't the only thing Robin wished he hadn't neglected to repair. So instead of the disappearing act, turned and began to walk away.

"Wait a minute!" Jinx called out, her voice tinged with desperation. "Aren't you going to help us?"

Help them? Take in some more rouges who will most likely betray him like Terra had? Did Slade think he was dumb enough to make the same mistake twice?

"I did," he responded coldly. "Go tell Slade, I took the bait. Hook, line and sinker."

Wincing, Jinx half walked, half stumbled over to him. "Slade? We don't work for Slade!"

"Oh? But you used to." Robin removed the skull mask and turned, revealing himself to them. The Sorceress looked completely stunned, as did the strongman behemoth who made a step in their direction. "He sent you to annihilate the Teen Titans. This time he used you as bait. Tell me, what did he promise you? The T-Tower? Your own part of the city?"

The two H.I.V.E. members blinked at the venom in the Boy Wonder's voice. It would have stung horribly had it been true. His accusations were understandable though, they had expected this.

"Only that one time," the young Sorceress began to explain. "The H.I.V.E are mercenaries, loyal to no one but ourselves. We were on our way in becoming top graduates. Slade was in charge of our final exam...and we failed. So we're not H.I.V.E anymore."

There was a long pause, but Robin made no reply, hands fisting at his sides. Clenched and unclenching his fingers, he wondered if he should attack. Or just leave. They were already too close to his hideout, and there was no way he would let them in.

'But look at them!' his conscience shouted out. Grudgingly, Robin obeyed. The three were definitely a sorry sight to behold.

They were shivering and drenched by the chilling rain. Jinx appeared to be feverish, her clothes torn in places and clinging to her skin. Mammoth was bruised all over the visible parts of his body, and he had an ugly gash across his face. Then there was Gizmo, who looked like a combination of both his partners, and was drawing ragged breaths as he slept.

Robin inwardly swear. He knew he couldn't turn them away. Despite their history as enemies to his team, they were still people. He couldn't let them die. If his friends were alive, they would have agreed.

"All right," he said at last. "I'll give you shelter, food, and protection. Until I can get you out of the city." Before they could sigh in relief, he held up his hand to let them know he wasn't done. "In return, you have to do exactly as I say. Do we have a deal?"

The two former mercenaries blinked before glancing down at their passed out comrade. Wishing he were at least conscious to have a say in this. But there wasn't time. Not with Slade's inhuman henchman patrolling the entire city.

Numbly, both of them nodded.

"No second chances," Robin informed them. Though it was more like he was reminding himself. "If you step out of line, I will not hesitate to destroy you."

It was harsh, Robin knew. But the former Titan leader couldn't afford to trust anyone in the first place. Let alone a couple of criminals who were undeserving of it. They paled just a little at the threat, but made no comment.

Without a word, he raised both his hands and fired two X's towards them. They immediately wrapped around both the other teenagers, pinning both their arms to their sides. In Jinx's case, her hands were covered to ensure she didn't use her 'bad luck' hex powers. Mammoth was completely covered on one side, with the tiny Gizmo strapped to him.

As they tested their unbreakable restraints, the masked crime fighter nodded to himself. "That should do it."

"What in the hell is this?!" Jinx demanded, both glaring at the boy who had his back to them to press the button for an elevator.

As the elevator doors opened, Robin gestured for them to approach. There was some resistance at first, until they remembered their agreement. In their current health and being bound effectively, Robin could easily pick them off if he wanted to.

"I thought you were going to trust us!"

Scowling, they obeyed. Pissed off as they felt that the last Titan was herding them like cattle. Robin followed them inside with the doors shutting closed behind him. With his back to the others, he opened up a secret panel and typed in password.

"Trust is easy to destroy," Robin began as the elevator descended beneath ground level. "But it takes time to build. Be patient."

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Author's Notes:

Like Robin's last lines?

Again I've traded three hours of sleep to finish this chapter. Need to get as much plot written down as I possibly can before I can get to the good stuff: the slash =P

For those of you who have only seen the new animated version of Teen Titans (like me), you're probably wondering who Slade's "butler" was from the end of 'Divide and Conquer', he's Wintergreen - Slade's right hand man from the comic version. He just appears in that one episode, but who knows if he'll show up again.

Now that I think of it, Slade is like a darker version of Batman. He had a bat-cave, a butler, enough money to make all those damn androids; so all he needed was a sidekick. But anyway...

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Feedback Responses:

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Claire - Don't worry, at this rate, I'll be writing several chapters a week. I'm a starved review-crazed-monster, FEED ME! =P

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TheDudeLordOfFantasy - Thanks for giving the story a chance despite your feelings towards slash. There will be some nc-17 content, but I won't post it up on ffnet. As for killing Terra, well Robin's thinking about it.

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Agent182 - Awww! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! As for the city, I don't think it's Gotham, considering it's Batman territory.


	4. chapter 4

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Three Way Mirror

Written By: Teno Hikari

email: tenohikariyahoo.com / tenohikarics.com

Summary: Takes place in the 'Aftershock' episodes. Slade has taken over the city, and all the Teen Titans, except Robin, has fallen. Can the boy wonder stop Slade alone? Or will Terra clip his wings? (Slade/Robin)

Disclaimer: Well you know what I'm gonna say, I own nothing. That includes the Teen Titans. ::walks off to go sulk in the corner::

Warning: Spoilers for the show - at least for the 2 seasons.

Slash, Yaoi, M/M pairings. Adult situations. Mature readers only.

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Chapter Four

It was almost five in the morning, and Robin had once again substituted sleep to stay alert. He couldn't very well let his guard down with three ex-criminals sleeping close by. In his several extra waking hours, he did manage to finish repairs on both the R-Cycle and the Red X suit (after it dried of course).

Sleep would have also been impossible considering the circumstances of the world above ground. He was constantly haunted by the metal-masked face of his nemesis. Questions he had asked himself over and over again echoed through his troubled young mind.

'Who is Slade? What is he planning?'

If you could anticipate your adversary's actions, you can control them. That's what both, he and Slade had strived to do. Robin wanted to bring the criminal mastermind to justice. He wanted to protect this city and all he cared for. Slade... he never could figure the man out, and so he failed.

Even when he had given himself over as an apprentice, Robin had not come any closer to finding answers. It seemed Slade's only motivation at the time was testing him. He was still left in the dark, with the disturbing revelation that his nemesis had been right. They were both so much alike. Neither of them could stand to lose. They both fought to win. "Winning isn't everything," he remembered saying once. "It's just the only thing that matters."

Much as he hated to admit it, Slade had won the damn game.

--------------------------

It was almost noon when his 'guests' finally woke up and got out of bed to inquire about food. Robin gestured where the kitchenette was and told them not to expect much. He knew that they didn't. When the H.I.V.E had taken the Tower, all the food in the refrigerator was covered in blue mold. At least the food he had in stock would keep them - well, at least Mammoth - from snacking on the bats that hung around.

Yawning, he slumped in his chair and lazily stared at the large blank computer screen. On the instrument panel he had an assortment of broken weapons that needed repair. Mostly a lot of his bird like boomerangs. Though one in particular had caught his attention.

He selected that one, turning it over in his gloved hands. On the very tip of the right wing, Robin could spot a dull brownish-red smear. A bloodstain. HE fingered it for awhile, careful not to cut himself on the sharp edge.

'Right then and there, I could have killed her in an instant,' he thought grimly. But no, he had selected to only cut her. Just one cut was all he needed. She would pay with her life for the lives of his friends sooner or later. But he would make it last.

Dropping the bird-a-rang back on his workstation, he rose to go get something to eat as well. Hopefully Mammoth hadn't taken advantage of his generous hospitality, by eating all of it. Or he really would make the giant eat the bats.

As he left the control room and into the living area, the teen was suddenly shaken by the sound of a low moan that echoed through the cave. It startled Robin for a minute. He had grown used to the silence, no matter how much it unnerved him. The moan must have been Gizmo. When he brought them in, Robin had done the noble thing by treating his former foes with the utmost care. Time to go see if the little foul-mouthed boy genius, was going to appreciate it.

Gizmo laid sprawled on the bottom part of the bunk bed in the second room. Mammoth, who was too huge, had made a makeshift one on the floor. Jinx had taken the other room for herself. Leaving the top bunk for Robin, if he ever planned to let himself sleep in it.

Standing over Gizmo's bedside, the Titan leader could see he still had a fever. But the younger boy's condition had improved a little. Gently, he removed the dirty sweat soaked cloth resting on the other's forehead. Robin replaced it with a clean one after wringing it out, using the water from the bowl of melting ice on the floor.

Another groan. Softer this time, before those beady little black eyes opened. The smaller boy blinked, looking disoriented for a moment. He stared up at the top bunk he was facing and squinted. Breathing heavily, his cracked lips began to form a single word. Robin kneeled down again and picked up the pitcher of cool water, pouring some into the cup the sat next to the bowl.

"Here."

He helped the other boy drink, carefully pouring a little in at the time to prevent him from choking. Gizmo eagerly finished the water, raising his head a little from the pillow. All the while, Robin examined the various cuts and bruises.

Mammoth had explained what happened last night. His small teammate had been injured in a crash landing, after being shot down from behind by one of the androids. The H.I.VE. boy-genius was lucky to be alive.

When he finished, Gizmo laid back down and began to breathe normally. Settling back to lean on his heels, Robin wondered why these three were still in the city. If they were no longer Slade's hired mercenaries, then why the hell were they still here? Did they try to affiliate themselves with him, before he turned them away? Or were they really spies sent to take down the last remaining Teen Titan, his former apprentice.

"H-hey, Bird Boy, get your h-head out of the damn c-clouds," a low voice uttered next to him. Robin's eyes widened in surprise under his mask as he turned to meet Gizmo's weary gaze. "Shee-eesh, I've been trying to get your attention for over f-five f-freaking minutes..."

Robin leaned forward a little, not bothering to apologize. "How're you feeling?"

The smaller boy attempted to sit up and swear loudly and violently, before again falling back down on the bed. "F-Fan-fucking-tastic!"

Quite a vocabulary, Gizmo has. This former H.I.V.E mercenary clashed with the Titans from time to time. Always getting into trouble by himself. Like stealing Cyborg's baby, the T-Car. He was thrown in jail, with a bar of soap shoved in his mouth.

"It's been awhile.." Robin unconsciously straightened out the damp cloth on the other's head. "Haven't seen you since the 'Tournament of Heroes'."

Those beady eyes widened slightly, before Gizmo weakly swatted the helpful hand away. Ungrateful brat. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot how fun that was," he snorted. "Though it was interesting watching you and that Speedy-guy getting your geek on."

The Boy Wonder momentarily flushed with embarrassment. Yeah that was kind of nerdy, as he thought back on it. He and the agile masked-archer, Speedy, were going on about their weapons as if they were toys. Robin remembered how great it was to meet someone like him with similar qualities. Someone other than Slade.

He shook his head, and shot Gizmo a small glare. "As if that 'geek' stuff didn't interest you," he countered.

Shrugging, the diminutive inventor absently examined himself, observing his injuries with disgust. Muttering a long string of colorful swear words. Robin twitched, and wondered if he ought to use one of the discarded dirty rags on the floor to gag the midget with.

"How did you qualify for the game, anyway?" he asked curiously. Cyborg had brought it up at the event. He hadn't thought about it much, but it was a tournament for heroes after all. Gizmo, who has seen more prison cells in his life than Robin ever will, wasn't exactly 'hero' material.

The villainous boy-genius opened his mouth, and awkwardly began to stutter nonsense. "Smtimsihrpodradiesacrussdestet..."

"Huh?"

"Smtimshi..." Gizmo craned his neck up, looking passed Robin's shoulder, and squeaked. "Sh-Shut up! I don't have to tell you anything!"

Following his gaze, the Boy Wonder turned to see the other former mercenaries standing in the door way. How long had they been there? Both were looking very curious in what their comrade had to say.

Jinx, holding a bowl of spaghettiOs was grinning. "Oh, come on Giz, 'Sometimes you...' - what?"

Gizmo fumed, as angry little storm clouds circled his head. Robin nearly avoided getting struck down by lightning. "You understood that?"

The Sorceress rolled her cat-like eyes and handed some him the bowl when he had successfully managed to sit up. With Robin's help, of course. Not that the little brat had thanked him for it.

"Rrr... SpidJnxWhdUHaftapenyerdamnmuth!"

"Well, excuse me!"

--------------------------

He passed out sometime in the afternoon. He hadn't fallen asleep. He passed out. Right when he was checking on something important, his eyes just refused to stay open anymore. What seemed like a few minutes, in reality had been a few hours. Until someone shook him awake, and none too gently, as he went crashing to the floor.

"Sorry," Mammoth apologized (much to the Boy Wonder's waking shock). "Didn't know you were asleep."

Picking himself up off the ground, Robin yawned loud enough to irritate some bats hanging above them. "I passed out," he corrected. "Hadn't slept in awhile."

"I guess that explains those dark rings around your eyes."

Another yawn.

"No, that's just my mask."

"Oh yeah."

Dusting himself off, Robin looked at the teenaged behemoth who began to laugh nervously.

"What's up?"

"Well you see the food..." Mammoth stopped laughing. The young crime-fighter had bad feeling about this.

"What about it?"

"Well... um..."

Twitch.

"What's wrong with the food?"

A really, really bad feeling about this. He could already came to his own conclusion. Back at the Tower, the giant had practically cleared out their own refrigerator. Eating everything that was in sight, including most of the ones that had been expired. Robin shuddered, remembering left over lasagna had turned into a breathing mass of blue fuzz.

"Nothing," Jinx answered simply as she quickly stole the Titan leader's seat. Robin's frowned deepened. Guess they were out of it when he gave them the whole "Step out of line and I'll destroy you" threat. "Cause there's nothing left."

"WHAT?!"

In a brief flash Robin was gone. His entire thought process, upon reaching the kitchen, was 'I should have listened to my common sense. I should have left them. I should kick their free-loading-asses out of here!'. His steel-toed boots screeched to a halt against the cave floor, as he took in the sight of a stack of empty spaghettiO and root beer cans.

He quickly darted back to the stunned H.I.V.E agents, breathing heavily like a mad bull. Jinx quickly stood up from Robin's chair and darted out of the line of fire. Mammoth sweat dropped as Robin started twitching.

"So... um can we go loot a grocery store?"

"That's stealing!"

"So? Everyone's out of town. Food's gonna go to waste anyway."

Twitch.

"Eat. The. Bats."

--------------------------

An hour later, after listening to all three of his guests bitch about food, Robin was ready to throw them out. Until his annoying conscience from hell told him not to. So he threw himself out, before giving them strict orders not to touch anything. Robin regretted tying them all up again.

So now he was tearing down the freeway on his R-Cycle, running a little faster than normal. By "little", meant nearly breaking the sound barrier. Had there been any actual cars on the road, they would have been ran right off of it. This was exactly what he needed, freedom. It felt great to leave his dwelling, and hit the open road. 'Stretch his wings' so to speak.

It was still raining, though not as much as the previous night. There was a little drizzle, just lightly tapping against the front of his helmet. A cool breeze rustled his cape from behind him, and got even colder as he neared his destination.

There was a cliff just high enough to overlook the Jump City bridge, the crime fighter had come here to think on nightly patrols. He halted his bike just before the rail, and turned off the lights. With no one - or specifically no armed machine - in sight, Robin just put down the stand, and sat there for a few minutes in the blessed darkness.

Looking around, his eyes narrowed, taking in the road blockades on the bridge. If he squinted hard enough, he could also spot heavily armed white robotic guards standing at their posts. Preventing anyone from entering or leaving the city alive. Finally, he turned his attention towards the Tower.

There were no lights to indicate light or warmth. His home had been reduced to a empty landmark surrounded by ocean that looked as black as the sky. Lapping waves pummeled against the rocks, threatening to rise up and consume him.

Removing his helmet, the biting chill of a harsh wind immediately beat down upon the Boy Wonder's face. Worriedly, he placed a gloved hand on the side of his mask. Making sure it was stuck on firmly and didn't blow away.

Before he knew it, a much larger hand was resting on his own. The teenager suddenly went numb all over. Against his will, he raised his head slightly, and turned to meet another's piercing gaze. One single, narrowed eye looked down at him from the slit of a bronze and black steel mask.

Slade's grip tightened.

"Hello, Robin."

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Author's Notes:

I know, evil cliff-hanger. Please review, and note that no bats were actually harmed or eaten, while writing this chapter. Please note, these chapters have not been beta-read yet, I apologize for any grammar mistakes.

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Feedback Responses:

(fanfiction.net)

Teekoness - Yay, another reader! Now I don't have to grab all my online buddies, tape their eyelids open, then make them read and review. But, heh, I might just do that anyway. "Pointless smuts"? I have to agree with you on. I mean there are some good Teen Titan yaoi/slash fics out there. But what really turns me away is the serious out of character-ness. For example:

Robin: I wuv you, BB  
Beast Boy: I wuv you too, dude!  
Robin: I wuv you more ::hugs:: Now let's go have kinky sex in the T-car. The back seat vibrates like a bed at a cheap motel.  
Beast Boy: ::giggles:: OK!  
Robin Beast Boy: ::SMOOCH::

AHHHRRRRGHHHH!!!! WTF?! WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?! ... =P

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Agent182 - The NC-17 material will be posted up on my other accounts at Adultfanfiction.net and Mediaminer.org - as for the pairing... well, I won't give away their relationship yet (but there will be chains involved. Hehe).

For the series so far, Batman is mentioned in Apprentice episode 2. Robin tells Slade that: "I already have a father", and we see bats flying above them, and a little batman-theme music is played (yeah, I know - I'm a nerdy fan-girl). But I could understand why viewers might think the setting would be Gotham, it is said out loud in the later episodes of season 2 (along with Metropolis) - and we know that there is a WAYNE TECH building in the city from the first season.

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Claire - A story monster? Cool!

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TheDudeLordOfFantasy - I like the HIVE members too, even though we only see more of Gizmo after the Final Exam episode. Wow... you really hate Terra that much, huh? I just think that if she didn't have those geo-kinetic powers, no way would Slade have chosen her as a new apprentice. I still think he wants Robin, and yes, in 'that' way =P


	5. chapter 5

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Three Way Mirror

Written By: Teno Hikari

email: tenohikariyahoo.com / tenohikarics.com

Summary: Takes place in the 'Aftershock' episodes. Slade has taken over the city, and all the Teen Titans, except Robin, has fallen. Can the boy wonder stop Slade alone? Or will Terra clip his wings? (Slade/Robin)

Disclaimer: Well you know what I'm gonna say, I own nothing. That includes the Teen Titans. ::walks off to go sulk in the corner::

Warning: Spoilers for the show - at least for the 2 seasons.

Slash, Yaoi, M/M pairings. Adult situations. Mature readers only.

****

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Chapter Five

"Hello Robin."

The Boy Wonder went cold all over. His mouth opened for form words, but none came out. He shivered at the sight of that inscrutable steel mask, just mere inches away from his face. This couldn't be real, could it? How could Slade catch him by surprise? How could he not have heard?

Robin remained where he was, half sitting on parked motorcycle. He hadn't even acknowledged dropping the helmet to the ground. The teen's mind suddenly went blank, just as Slade's gloved finger tips lightly brushed across his cheek.

"You've lost some weight."

Slade had noticed his former apprentice was thinner than he remembered. Though it was understandable, the last Teen Titan had so much more weight resting on his shoulders now. Survivor's guilt was probably eating the youth from the inside, unconsciously making him neglect himself. Slade examined the boy's pale face and wondered if he was sleeping at all.

"But still," the older man continued. "It's good to see you, Robin... or is it Red X, again?"

Finally pulling himself together, the teen growled and batted the offending hand away. At the same time, he fought the bone crushing hold that was numbing his other hand. The masked man's grip was like steel. Which was understandable if this really was another android, just in the image of his nemesis.

"Slade," Robin grated out the other's name as if it were an obscenity. He continued to wrestle out of Slade's hold. Unable to free himself that way, his free hand moving to his utility belt.

"Let go!"

The restraining hand had loosened a bit, but did not relinquish it's hold. As if he believed the younger man had been blessed with Beast Boy's shape shifting powers, by sprouting wings to fly away. Robin continued to glare, holding his enemy's gaze.

"I knew you would be here," the hateful man answered, gesturing to their surroundings. "Other than the training arena at the Tower, this was the only place you could be alone. Away from your friends to find peace of mind."

The Boy Wonder seethed. Hating the fact that he seemed to be an open book to the older man. While he, with all his training under one of the best detectives in the world, knew nothing about Slade. Where had the man come from? What did he look like under his mask? And most importantly...

'Why me?'

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Terra awoke, screaming out into the darkness. A nightmare had yet again chased her away from another peaceful night's sleep. Sitting up, she drew breath through ragged gasps, rocking back and forth in an attempt to calm down. Dark blue eyes were still wide with terror as she continued to clutch the blankets with her small white knuckled hands. After several minutes, she managed to calm down somewhat.

Pushing away a lock of drenched blonde hair away from her face, she scanned the room. Her bedroom, with it's simple decor, had belonged to Slade's apprentice. When she came to him and started her training, the teenager had many decorating plans. The walls, for example, were bare and devoid of color. Terra had wanted to paint them, and maybe pin up some posters of her favorite rock bands.

Unfortunately, there hadn't been time. Slade was a strict teacher during those long months of rigorous training. How many times had she had to wake up at dawn, train, and finally was allowed to rest at dusk? Before she knew it, the teen realized she had signed over her freedom. The earth mover was no longer a wanderer seeking a place to call home, but a soldier who took and carried out orders. She didn't mind it all that much, because in the end, he held up his end of their deal. But now, after such a nightmare, she wanted to find comfort in something. If not someone.

She found herself longing for the room she had at the Titan Tower. The room her former had friends had made for her. They had painted the walls red, remembering her favorite color. Photos they had taken together, were hung everywhere. Some were framed, and many of them were taped to the vanity mirror. Gifts that been given to her, like the heart shaped box Beast Boy had made, were most treasured possessions.

Terra had left them all behind.

With her true alliance revealed, she had returned to Slade's side with only the clothes on her back. After city was theirs, he allowed her some freedom to pick out what she wanted. But then, nothing had interested her. Anything and everything the former homeless child could ever want, and she didn't want any of it. Nothing. Was this how it was going to be now? Was she no different from his robotic foot soldiers?

Rubbing her eyes, she knew going back to sleep would be impossible at the moment. But damn did she need it after all the hell fighting had put her body through. Maybe Slade would allow her to take some sleeping pills.

Making up her mind, Terra climbed out of bed and to change out of those damp clothes and into some new ones. After opening the door, she turned on a light and realized she only had a few options. There were only two outfits the hung up in her closet: the silvery metallic Apprentice attire... and then the simple yellow biker shorts and the black turtleneck with the Titan logo on it. Two uniforms from her past and present.

'I definitely need to expand my wardrobe.'

Changing out of her pajamas, she reached for her former Titan uniform and simply turned the turtle neck inside out. The girl doubted Master Slade would approve of her still wearing his enemy's insignia. It would have to do until her sleeping clothes were washed, or until she could get some new ones.

The door was unlocked. But then again, it had always been unlocked. Terra was Slade's apprentice after all, she was not a prisoner by force. The teenager had sworn oath to her master. To obey him. To fight and win. To shed blood in his name. She was only a prisoner of her own volition.

Habit led her to Slade's control room, yet while Terra's mind was wandering, the teen found herself walking straight into a solid figure. Managing to regain balance before hitting the ground, the youth swallowed nervously. Ever so slowly, she raised her head and expected to see that masked face and that one visible eye glaring down at her. Instead...

"Hello, Miss Terra," Wintergreen greeted. "I'm afraid Mister Slade is out right now, and won't be due back until morning."

"O-Oh..."

"Care to join me for tea?"

--------------------------

"You're awfully quiet tonight..."

Robin held his tongue from responding. By sounding concerned, Slade was just trying to get a rise out of him, and the Boy Wonder knew his emotions would only be used against him. Anger had been his downfall in several occasions. This time would be different. He just kept his gaze locked onto the older man. Face to face. Mask to mask.

"My friends?" he asked finally after an awkward silence. Hoping against hope. Praying what he had seen during the Teen Titans final battle had been just a dream. What he wouldn't give to wake up in Mad Mod's 'school' and find out this was all some horrid illusion.

"They are dead. I thought you knew that by now, Robin."

Robin ground his teeth together, trying his hardest not to scream at the affirmation. The young crime fighter knew they were gone. But the horrible truth of realizing he could never see his friends alive again, had finally sunk in. His precious team mates who were always there for him when he needed them. Gone forever.

Growling with rage, he attacked. Slipping a bird-a-rang free from his utility belt, he stabbed the sharp wing into Slade's wrist. The hand that had been holding his own, released him, and fell to the masked man's side. He threw another one towards Slade's head while starting up his motorcycle again.

The masked man had dodged it. Yet before he could retaliate or stop Robin from escaping, he was struck from behind . The second bird-a-rang the boy had thrown at him, was now embedded into the back of his neck.

Quickly, the last Titan scooped up his helmet and his R-cycle came to life. He was ready to run down his arch-nemesis, who had moved out of the way just in time. Slade yanked out the broken weapon, not making any sound of pain with that single eye fixated on him. Instead of flesh in blood, there were only circuits and mechanical bits of an android. From the back, he could see a shower of sparks shooting out where the other wing blade had pierced.

Turning his head back, Robin narrowed his eyes in irritation. His aim and calculation had been perfect. The blade would have stabbed right through the synovial membrane between the third and fourth cervical vertebrae. Severing off nerves connecting to the diaphragm. The damage would have permanently halt the victim's breathing. An instant kill. If only this hadn't been a mechanical replica.

"I'm glad you haven't lost your edge," Slade's voice mocked through the android's speaker. Using it's undamaged hand, the metal puppet removed the face plate. Revealing, a small screen that displayed static for a moment before Slade's face appeared on it.

It was like that time when the mastermind's henchmen had tried to steal that disk. Slade had congratulated him then on his training. Just like he was doing now.

"So, you're practicing killing blows now. I'm impressed."

"Shut up!"

"It's good to know that not all is lost," he continued mercilessly. "Before you believed you could never condone murder. Could never let yourself become like me..."

"I never will be like you!" Robin shouted, outraged. Blinded by his unleashed fury, he didn't even know he was trembling. But Slade saw it and went on.

"Never is a long time, dear boy, but it could also be tomorrow." With that said, the screen was filled with static again. Before it cleared to show a countdown from ten.

The Boy Wonder gasped in realization and quickly turning back to the road. His R-Cycle noisily speeded down the path, as he just barely managed to get the helmet on. A loud explosion sounded behind him, perhaps devastating enough to destroy the cliff he had once enjoyed coming to. Another thing the bastard had stolen from him.

As he left the area, the noise must have also alerted some nearby guards on patrol. They suddenly appeared before him, weapons firing. Laser fire streaked down the road in crimson blurs. The teen ducked a bolt aimed squarely at his head while managing to keep his bike steady, and in one piece.

He whipped out his retractable bo-staff to it's full length, and prepared to plow through the rows of his opponents. They hesitated a little but held their ground, continuing with their assault. Increasing his acceleration, the Titan leader wasn't going down without a fight.

--------------------------

From a distance, the real predator watched his prey with silent amusement. The youth had no problems making his escape. Then again, Slade would have been most disappointed if Robin was taken down so easily. The younger man might have been fatigued with his pallor and lack of rest, but that didn't stop him from pulverizing Slade's soldiers.

It didn't matter if Robin got away now. Slade had got what he came for, and more. Everything he had done had been thought of with the utmost care and preciseness. The android replica of himself was designed to be a bomb, not to put up a fight. No, it would have been too dangerous if his prey had clumsily fallen off the cliff and into the freezing waters below.

"Another day, Robin," Slade promised. He remembered his words before parting with his former-apprentice all those months ago. Just because he had recruited another, didn't mean he was going to stop his pursuit. To do so would be giving up, and that was something he would not allow.

He had always enjoyed a challenge in his hunt. The harder the challenge, the more he strived to win. Robin was such a worthy prize after all.

'Another day. Another hunt.' Smirking underneath his steel mask, Slade turned to leave. Disappearing into the darkness as if they had swallowed him whole.

--------------------------

"Mmmm... this is good," Terra commented as she took a sip of her tea. The porcelain cup warming both her hands up as she held it close.

"What is it?"

"Chai."

"Huh?"

"Chai tea," he answered.

"Ah."

Together, she and the elderly man were settled at the table within Slade's private dinning area. The room was rather cozy with the warm glow from the fire place. It wasn't at all boring and plain like her room, with those painted walls and decorative leather furniture. Terra wondered if she could sleep here from now on.

Wintergreen nodded, pouring a cup for himself. He caught the young girl's gaze eyeing the platter of pecan cookies, but was too shy to ask for one. Without a word, he pushed the platter toward her direction.

Smiling appreciatively, she reached out and took a few. Being in Slade's company, her master did not approve of her former eating habits. Like practically consuming anything and everything that looked edible.

"Th-Thank you... the tea is very delicious. I don't think I've ever had it before. Kind of spicy, but sweet," she observed out loud. It was nothing like Raven's herbal tea. In fact, it was better. Upon draining her cup, she couldn't help but stare at the old man. As long as Terra had been at her master's side, his aid was just as big of a mystery as he was.

"Tell me, Miss Terra. Why are you up so late?" Wintergreen asked. "I understand you have training early tomorrow."

Looking down at her empty cup, she nibbled on one of her cookies and frowned. "I've been having problems sleeping."

"Because of your former team mates?"

She jerked her head up angrily.

"NO!"

Wintergreen raised an eyebrow at her outburst, but nonchalantly continued to drink his beverage. Terra's shoulders slumped at her rudeness. And the fact that he was right.

"M-Maybe..." Terra began, her lower lip trembling. Terra had lost her appetite and set the half eaten cookie down. "Yes... I don't know." Then desperately she added, "P-Please don't tell Master Slade!"

He held up the tea kettle and offered to pour her another cup, which she gladly accepted. Her hands were shaking now, thinking how she would be punished this time. When he was angry enough, Slade knew how to break a person, and make it last.

"Be careful, my dear," Wintergreen nodded toward her sloshing tea cup. "Or you'll burn yourself."

Once more, the earth mover forced herself to calm down. In this state of mind she could probably tear through the floor without even knowing it. Her master would really be pissed then. Drinking her tea, slowly this time, she let her gaze linger around the room once again.

Not even Slade's private quarters did she see anything that could be sentimental to the man. No clue to his identity. Just like Robin, she thought irritably. Before Terra knew it, her finger had reached out to brush against the healing facial wound he had given her.

"Mr.Wintergreen?"

"Yes?"

She opened her mouth to ask if Slade had any facial scars under his mask. Surely Wintergreen would have to know. When he served her master, the mask surely had to be removed in order for him to eat. The teenager wished she wasn't so curious, but anything to take her mind off her nightmares were welcoming. But now Terra wasn't so sure if she wanted to know.

"Miss Terra?"

"N-nevermind..."

How long would it be until her own face was covered in scars, that she had to wear a mask?

--------------------------

Dismounting his R-Cycle, The Boy Wonder tiredly staggered back to lean heavily against the elevator wall. His bloodshot eyes surveyed the damage done to his motorcycle. It had been close call after he got passed the first blockade of soldiers in his way. He hadn't been counting on reinforcements.

The Teen Titan wasn't used to fighting these incredible odds alone anymore. Now with the other Teen Titans backing him up. Did he even have a chance at all in saving his city? Was he fighting a loosing battle?

Also...

Was he loosing himself in the process?

Just an hour ago, he had demonstrated to the masked man that he was indeed capable of murder. Very capable of being just like Slade. No, that wasn't true! Robin could never let himself become like Slade and betray everything he had once held dear. That is... what he would like to believe, anyway.

"What the hell am I doing?" Robin whispered miserably, hanging his head as his shoulders slumped in defeat.

****

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Author's Notes:

Okay, I rushed this chapter. There was a lot more dialogue in Slade and Robin's confrontation, but I blanked out when I started writing. To be honest, I have never read the Teen Titan comic books. I don't know a whole lot about Wintergreen who barely showed his face in "Divide and Conquer." I'm just guessing that he's almost like Bruce Wayne's butler, Alfred. Again, Slade = Evil Batman, but NOT Batman.

"Never is a long time, but it could be tomorrow" - a proverbial quote given to me by a fortune cookie. Why is it that fortune cookies never tell your fortune anymore? All I get are lotto numbers and proverbs.

Again, I apologize for any grammar errors. I was in a hurry to finish... Yes, I'm aware of the fact that I sound like a broken record. Please review!

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Feedback Responses:

(fanfiction.net)

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GigaBomb121 - Yeah, the HIVE members are like the snottier version of the Teen Titans. They certainly were more organized during "Final Exam", five against three and they still won.

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Teekoness - Thanks! In the last episode of Aftershock, Slade manages to take control over Terra's body just to use her powers. This is all he really wanted: her powers and not her. Unlike his predecessor, Robin can hold his own in a fight with the Titans. He managed to hand their asses to them, not once, but three times (as Slade's apprentice and Red X). With the Titan Leader, he considered Robin to be the 'perfect' Apprentice.

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Sarryn - Awww! ::hugs:: How's college away from home been treating you? You really should watch the series. You'll love it.

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Flick-chan - ::reads over long review and blushes:: Wow, thank you!!! Sad but true, there aren't a lot of Slade/Robin fanfics considering the obsession they have over one another. I highly recommend "Without Reprieve" by Fire Tears (Teen Titan slash ML), "Where Angels Lose Their Ways" by Daisy Sparrow (Fanfiction.net or Adultfanfiction.net), and "Two Halves of One Whole" by Deathums (Adultfanfiction.net). If you have any recommendations: Give. Me. Now.....

For other slash pairings, there's only a few I could picture Robin with: Cyborg and Speedy. As for HET pairings, I really think Robin/Raven could work. Robin and Starfire are cute... but their personalities are too different. Star is innocent and naive, and Robin obviously cares for her - but it's probably because of those qualities and his responsibility as a leader.

Gah, HET ::Cough:: Moving on...

I actually don't despise Terra either, hence why she's not dead yet in this story. Despite the SladexRobin pairing, she does have a vital role.

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Agent182 - Ack! Just to let you know... I need oxygen in order to write... XD For the NC-17 parts, I have to cut them out when posting on fanfiction.net. Rules are rules ::grumble::

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TheDudeLordOfFantasy - Same here. I like the character-centric episodes, like Mask and Apprentice. They had some excellent fight scenes fot the show. I was like, 'Wowsers! Robin kicks ass!', he really can do a lot more than shout "Titans, GO!" XD

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Claire - Sorry it took awhile for chapter 5, I was stuck for a moment. It's been awhile since I was able to finish four chapters within a week. Normally, my other fanfics it usually takes months.

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Amethyst Wind - Agreed, Jinx is awesome, she had a lot of potential for being a powerful villainness. Yet sadly, she and Mammoth haven't showed up in anymore episodes so far. Only Gizmo makes a few appearances. Kudos for being able to understand his muttering - I had to think of some reason why he was at the 'Tournament of Heroes'.


	6. chapter 6

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Three Way Mirror

Written By: Teno Hikari

email: tenohikariyahoo.com / tenohikarics.com

Summary: Takes place in the 'Aftershock' episodes. Slade has taken over the city, and all the Teen Titans, except Robin, has fallen. Can the boy wonder stop Slade alone? Or will Terra clip his wings? (Slade/Robin)

Disclaimer: Well you know what I'm gonna say, I own nothing. That includes the Teen Titans. ::walks off to go sulk in the corner::

Warning: Spoilers for the show - at least for the 2 seasons.

Slash, Yaoi, M/M pairings. Adult situations. Mature readers only.

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Chapter Six

"I gave you everything..."

[ But without my friends, I had nothing... ]

"All my knowledge..."

[ All those deadly techniques I never to perform on any living being... ]

"All my power..."

[ The power to strike fear into the hearts of men... ]

"All for you..."

[ I never wanted anything. Especially not from the likes of you. ]

"But all you seem to care about is your worthless, little, friends!"

What had Slade expected? It was because of he cared for friends, that he had given himself over in the first place. Finally released from the masked man's cruel grip, Robin remained on his hands and knees. He tried to catch his breath, frowning at another thwarted attempt to strike down his nemesis. His arm still felt numb. Briefly, he wondered if Slade had pulled the appendage loose from it's socket.

Ignoring his body's protests, the unruly apprentice forced himself up. With his back to Robin, hands clasped behind him as if in reflection, stood Slade. The very man, who literally held the lives of his teammates, in his hand.

Nanoprobes. Billions of little nanoscopic killers swarmed within the bloodstream of his friends, just waiting to attack. Robin eyed the large six-panel screen of their invasion, and scowled at them. He despised his situation even more. Here was a battle he was powerless to fight. Doomed to lose his friends, one way or another.

"If the Titans are so distracting, maybe I should get rid of them?"

Robin stopped himself from attacking, as watching the mask man pull out the detonator from the hidden gauntlet compartment. Fear paralyzed him from making any sudden movements. Fear for his friends.

"D-Don't..." he replied softly. "I... I'll do whatever you say."

Those had been the words Slade had longed to hear. Complete submission. From the moment he heard the teenager say his name.

"Good boy, and from now on, I'd like you to call me 'master'."

Robin's stomach twisted, he opened his mouth to respond to his "master's" request. Until the he heard Slade let out a shout of pain and surprise as a emerald star bolt hit him from behind. Much to the young man's horror and relief, he saw his friends standing at the entrance of the enemy's lair.

"Robin, attack!"

He couldn't do it. Not when they've probably heard so much. He stepped forward and warned them. Run. Get out. They had no idea what those beams did to them...

They knew? But how? And why would they still be here, provoking Slade who could kill them in an instant?

"We are your friends, Robin. We are not leaving without you."

Starfire's answer had shook him to his core. If they knew their leader had betrayed his team, and their ideals, why are they putting him in the awkward situation? He couldn't fight them... not now when they knew. But Robin couldn't very well just stand there, as the enemy picked himself up and began to approach.

"How very touching," Slade purred. His single eye narrowed angrily at his apprentice for his insubordination. "But Robin doesn't need any friends."

CLICK

All he could do was watch as his team mates fell to the ground. Glowing a hideous red and orange, as they writhed helplessly, groaning in agony. As their bodies flailed violently, Robin moved toward them, forcing himself to think of anything to cease their pain. But what could he do? How could he help them?

An arm encircled Robin's waist, pulling the boy back against the solid body behind him. "This is the price of disobedience, my apprentice," Slade purred into his ear. "The price you chose to pay."

"No... I didn't want this!" he sobbed helplessly. "Please let them go! Stop it!"

There was a long silence, before Slade spoke again.

"It has stopped."

What? Slowly his eyes moved to the still bodies of his teammates. They had stopped moaning. Stopped moving altogether. No. Oh please, God, no...

He was then released from his master's, and staggered forward. Their bodies were cold and lifeless. In their vacant eyes, he saw the remains of tears.

'Why?' they seemed to accuse him with their deathly pale faces. 'Why did you let us die?'

--------------------------

He awoke with a start, a scream trapped within his throat. What had happened? Where were his friends? Was... was it all just a dream?

Robin didn't remember what happened after he stepped into the elevator, but when he woke he found himself in bed. One he didn't remember getting into. Though it was a welcome change than sleeping slumped in a chair. He had almost forgotten how good it felt to lay down and stare at the ceiling... that strangely seemed a few feet from his face.

Realization dawned quickly as he turned his head and surveyed one of the bedrooms in Sanctuary. Resting on the top bunk and beneath him he could Mammoth's makeshift bed and the simple furniture that had been in the room. Though he didn't recall the mess of wires, tools, and metal pieces that lay on the desk.

Or the luxurious satin pillows on the floor, apart of Mammoth's bed.

Or the small collection of CDs, DVDs, and games piled high beside the bunk bed.

Or the game system and the wide screen television in the corner.

The teenager frowned and rolled over to face the wall, away from the - obviously stolen - merchandise. He'd deal with them and those little thieves later, right now he just wanted to go back to sleep. Maybe just let himself rest for the day. Or a month.

Stretching, Robin winced at the small aches and pains coming from his limbs. Complaining for the hell he had put them through. He was lucky he could still function, let alone dealing with Slade and his robot underlings. Really, what had he been thinking? Fighting an android army with no food and no rest.

Oh right, food. There was none left thanks to the ungrateful H.I.V.E criminals. He knew they must have been starving, but didn't they know he only had a limited supply. Well, maybe not, but still...

Wait a second. If all the food was gone, what was that smell? It smelled like... like...

"Hey, bird boy!" he heard Gizmo behind him. "You awake?"

Robin grunted as he felt someone poke him hard in the shoulder. He ignored it, hoping the little brat would go away. Poke. Why wasn't he going away? Poke. Poke. Poke. Snarling, the older teen turned over and bared his teeth.

"What is it?!" he hissed. Sitting up again, he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Well tried to anyway, seeing that his mask was still on. He didn't know why that surprised him. Maybe because he expected those former mercenaries would sink low enough to take it off.

"Jinx made me go ask if you wanted anything to eat," Gizmo said in his defense as he began climbing down the ladder. "You've been out of it for a couple of days ever since we found you in the elevator."

Robin squinted as he pulled out his deactivated Titan communicator and looked at the date. Two days? It certainly didn't feel that long.

"You coming, or what?"

Stomach growling, Robin nodded.

"Be there in fifteen..."

--------------------------

It felt good being clean again. Not that he was that dirty. The Boy Wonder had been used to going on days without bathing. He had fought with all kinds of villains and places that normal people would wretch over. Like fighting with Clayface back in Gotham, or knee deep in sewer water chasing down thieves.

But the shower was refreshing, and it immediately got him to wake up more than a reheated cup of coffee. Also, it was a rare moment when he had a chance to remove his mask. A high risk, Robin knew. One the crime fighter was willing to take just so he could feel the slap of cold water against face.

After drying off, Robin caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. No it wasn't the leader of the Teen Titans. It was him: the boy who lived behind that title. How long had it been since he saw himself without the cape, the uniform, and the mask?

Toweling his hair dry, he walked over to inspect his reflection.

Milky blue eyes ensnared his attention. They were like ice, able to freeze anyone looking directly into them in place. The boy in the mirror was transfixed, perhaps wondering: 'Who this person was staring back at him?'

Facing the mirror, Robin winced. The other boy looked so fragile looking. He was too skinny, too short, too pale. How was it possible that this same body could perform complex and dangerous moves? How was it fast and strong enough to take on almost any opponent? How did it not fall to pieces when he fell over?

The former Titan continued to stare at this mysterious young man. A familiar stranger. Could this really be him? No... It wasn't him, not anymore. The youth changed quickly into a spare costume, setting his mask in place.

His mirror image changed as well. There was no normal looking teenager facing him now. Those blue, blue eyes were concealed once again. Never to be seen by anyone else.

Without the mask, he was an ordinary boy without a future.

With it, he was Robin: a mysterious crime fighter without a past.

'But...'

Slade's voice suddenly filled his head. He could actually picture the hateful man in the mirror.

[ You're becoming more like me every second. ]

No! He would never be like that bastard! NEVER!

[ Never is a long time, dear boy. But it could also be tomorrow. ]

Growling lowly, he raised his fist to smash the mental image of Slade. But his punch halted before shattering the glass. Looking at him now, was an enraged Robin glaring back at him. It was as if his reflection were shouting back: "If you do become like him, I'll kill you!"

Slowly, Robin stepped back and lowered his arm. His anger suppressed for now. He would unleash it some training later on. But not now. He glanced once more at his image. This was him, now and forever. No one could change that. Not even Slade. The other masked hero gave him a small confident smile.

--------------------------

The sorceress was sitting on the counter, waiting for English muffins to pop out of the toaster. Jinx glanced up from her fashion magazine she had picked up, cat-like eyes passed over the Teen Titan who stepped into the room. Watching him scan the new improvements they put into the kitchen, she hid her smile, turning the next page.

While Robin had been asleep, they had expanded the kitchen using Mammoth's strength and Gizmo's intellect and technology. It was now wide enough for them to have a decent size refrigerator, several more outlets for extra appliances, and the room was big enough for Mammoth to move around even with a large breakfast table.

A table Gizmo had practically dominated, fixing up his system. Enormous metal spider legs were hanging off the edges. The boy genius was mumbling curses under his breath, nothing unusual. As he typed in codes on his mini laptop with one hand, and eat a spoonful of cereal with the other. Well he was trying to, anyway. It must have been hard muttering obscenities while your mouth was full of Lucky Charms.

At the stove Mammoth was humming away to the digital radio on the counter, while making stacks of waffles. With a stolen waffle iron, because Robin knew the Titans had lost theirs almost a year ago. The giant didn't even notice the Boy Wonder twitching behind him.

Both Jinx and Gizmo looked at their rescuer and regarded him quietly. While the other H.I.V.E member unknowingly almost gauged out Robin's eye out with a butter knife. He managed to duck out of the way, fuming at the larger teen who was slathering butter on the top of one of his waffle towers. It was only when Robin cleared his throat, did Mammoth turn around and acknowledge the Titan's presence.

"Whoa! You're awake!"

Gizmo snorted, finally giving up on his hard drive and began gobbling down his breakfast. "Brilliant observation skills you have there, Captain Obvious."

Mammoth's face turned as red from anger and embarrassment.

"Shut your face, Private Pain-in-the-ass," the giant shot back with a glare. After setting some dirty dishes in the sink, he turned to face Robin and offered another stack he had been keeping warm on the stove. "Um... want some?"

Robin eyed the leaning tower of waffles and decided he wasn't that hungry. Or that desperate to get his stomach pumped. He shook his head and walked over to the huge refrigerator and found it packed. It was more food he had ever seen, organized, but squished together.

"No thanks, and did you guys rob a grocery store?"

"We didn't rob anything," Jinx said defensively as she placed her breakfast on a plate. She hesitated for a moment, drizzling honey over the English muffins. "When everyone evacuated, they took what they wanted and abandoned the rest. I mean it was all going to go to waste anyway, and we're still here, and we needed food so..."

She trailed off, taking a bite when Robin turned his back to her. The Boy Wonder didn't look like he cared all that much. Her point had gotten through as he trimmed down one of the waffle towers. He sat down at the table when Gizmo finally got disgusted with his lack of progress and shoved his invention to the floor.

"Got milk?" he asked hopefully. He folded the waffles in his hands like a taco and began to eat. Glancing over to the giant who had been mixing waffle batter, Robin saw him sweat-drop nervously. 'Should have known...'

"Sorry, think I used it all..."

"WHAT?!"

Gizmo, who was about finished with his cereal, began to sputter with his mouth wide open. Half eaten marshmallow charms were flung left and right. Robin backed away to avoid the onslaught, but continued to eat his breakfast undisturbed. He had been exposed to nastier things. Like the time Beast Boy hurled when Cyborg had slipped in a tiny piece of pepperoni on the changeling's slice of cheese pizza. That had been gross.

"How could you use all freaking milk?!" the midget inventor demanded. "I need my freaking milk! How the hell else am I gonna grow up to be big and strong?!"

Both Jinx and Mammoth ducked their heads, and sniggered at the idea of Gizmo growing up to be: 'big' and 'strong'. The Boy Wonder remained silent, as he finished his waffles and walked back to pour himself some orange juice. Having breakfast with his old foes. The situation was all too weird.

Still... it was definitely better than being alone.

'They are not your friends,' he reminded himself, leaving the lively kitchen without a word. Anyone who got too close would suffer. Slade was right, he didn't need any friends. Robin didn't need...

He stopped dead in his tracks, standing alone in the shadows. Eyes wide in shock, he paled, while his lithe body began to tremble in realization. 'Oh... Oh God...'

Did he just admit that Slade was right?!

--------------------------

A few hours after lunch that day, the team gathered in the control room to comply with Robin's request. Five o'clock sharp he had told them. They had been too caught up in their own activities to notice the time. Mammoth had been weight lifting. Gizmo was again trying to repair the damage to his inventions. Jinx was busy practicing some back flips without putting too much weight on her sprang. When they finally remembered, it was now five-thirty, and the group wondered if Robin was going to hold up to his 'obey my orders or die' threat.

They didn't have to wonder long as they saw him sitting in his chair, working on an arm blastor. The Boy Wonder's brow knitted in concentration, finally finishing up just when he saw the tardy freeloaders at the entrance. Turning towards them, Robin aimed the weapon in their direction.

"I don't suppose any of you managed to steal a clock that works in your shop-lifting spree?"

Both Jinx and Gizmo quickly took cover. Shielding themselves from Robin's view, and the weapon that could probably do serious bodily harm. Unfortunately, for Mammoth, he had been code named: 'cover', back in their mercenary days.

"We got your back, big guy!" Gizmo tried to sound brave, clinging to the larger teen's shoulder. "Friggen' hell! My system is still down!"

"And my ankle is still sprained," the Sorceress added.

Twitching nervously, the giant's eyes never left the blastor pointed at him.

"You guys suck."

Robin lowered his arm, much to the group's relief. Turning his chair, he pulled up the data on the computer. While enjoying the scenic view from a few nights ago, he had managed to record a lot of it on his R-Cycle's hidden camera. Some grainy footage of the Jump City bridge appeared on the wall size large screen.

"This is the only way in or out of the city," he told them. From between the behemoth's muscled arms, Jinx and Gizmo popped out their heads to see. Neither H.I.V.E members made a step forward into the room as Robin enlarged a picture of the bridge.

"It's heavily guarded, but I think we can get through their blockade."

Jinx finally stepped around her 'cover'. "Huh? We're leaving the city?" For some reason this surprised and disturbed the girl and her team mates.

"Just the three of you," Robin answered, eyeing the explosives he had set up on his workstation. "Once you're off the bridge, I intend to blow it up."

This was going to be between him and Slade now. He would take care of the androids and the man's annoying subordinates in time. The Boy Wonder would figure out all their weaknesses. They won't be able to stand in the way for long.

"No one will enter or leave the city..."

'Not until one of us is dead.'

****

--------------------------

Author's Notes:

Poor Mammoth gets picked on a lot, doesn't he? Okay for the 'mirror' scene, I almost mentioned 'Dick Grayson' (Batman sidekick #1). It's obvious that's who he is in the Teen Titan series so far.

"How long is forever?" - Robin grows up to become Nightwing.

"Date With Destiny" - small little clip scenes of Robin's change of hairstyle.

"Fractured" - Robin's double from another reality: Nosyargdick, is Dick Grayson spelled backwards.

However, a close friend, Sorcerer Hunter fanfic partner, and DC comic information source: Lady Douji, has made me consider Robin's identity. This could very well be Tim Drake (Batman sidekick #3), because of their personalities. Also, Tim was the only Robin who practiced with a bo staff.

::Sigh:: Sorry for the rambling. I guess I'm going to steer clear of Robin's identity for awhile. Until I can make a decision. Oh, also I couldn't help but mention Clayface, Ron Perlman (Slade) also does his voice in the 'Batman: The Animated Series'. Yeah... I'm a geek =P

****

Feedback Responses:

(fanfiction.net)

****

Emerald Star - You can find "Without Reprive" in the Teentitanslash YAHOO mailing list message archives. list seems to be dead right now has continued (but not finished), sorry FFnet won't let me post the link. 

**TheDudeLordOfFantasy** - Heh, you read my mind ; I know it seems kind of soon for them to start bonding. Please note, that there are no loyalties formed yet. Robin had saved the once HIVE mercenaries when he took them in. Therefore, they were inclined to return the favor. So now they're sort of even. Also, please stop with the "Kill Terra" remarks. I know you and a good potion of Teen Titans viewers want her dead, but in this story she's a story character. Her fate is determined by how the plot progresses in the future chapters.

****

Teekoness - Yes, that was what I was going for, for Wintergreen's character. ["Be careful, my dear," Wintergreen nodded toward her sloshing tea cup. "Or you'll burn yourself."] - Hmm... I guess I should have made some note that he was trying to warn Terra. Not just about the hot tea. But controlling her emotions, and not letting her guilty conscience get to her. I also agree it would have been too soon for Slade to show up in person. A good predator knows when to strike, and now is not the time.

****

Amethyst Wind - Chai tea (which is a spicy, milky, kind of tea) ... as far as I know, has nothing to do with Tai chi. It's usually just called "Chai" which means "Tea" in many languages (in Chinese it is "Cha", and Japanese "Ocha").

****

Flick-chan - To make Terra totally evil without remorse, would have been out of character. Considering she does have guilty regrets in her 2nd season episodes. I admit that I don't care much for Terra. Yet, I feel in order to make the story believable, is to try and write the characters from an unbiased point of view.

Thanks for reviewing guys! ::Hugs all her reviewers::


	7. chapter 7

**Three Way Mirror**

Written By: Teno Hikari

email: tenohikariyahoo.com / tenohikarics.com

Summary: Takes place in the 'Aftershock' episodes. Slade has taken over the city, and all the Teen Titans, except Robin, has fallen. Can the boy wonder stop Slade alone? Or will Terra clip his wings? (Slade/Robin)

Disclaimer: Well you know what I'm gonna say, I own nothing. That includes the Teen Titans. ::walks off to go sulk in the corner::

Warning: Spoilers for the show - at least for the 2 seasons.

Slash, Yaoi, M/M pairings. Adult situations. Mature readers only.

--------------------------

Chapter Seven

"All right, that's enough," Robin's voice broke through the silence. "It seems we've covered everything for tomorrow night. Make no mistakes, this will be your last chance to get out of the city. Remember, all land and air vehicles have been taken into Slade's custody. The bridge is the only way out."

The three former mercenaries nodded their heads in understanding. Using his robotic wings once, Gizmo was shot out of the sky, luckily he had his back up spider legs. He doubted those metal appendages would help in the ocean.

Making a boat had been another option. It would have been possible, but not practical according to Robin. They were better on foot. At least they could outrun their enemies, instead of trying to out swim them and drowning in the process.

After the briefing, the masked youth dismissed them to go get some rest. They would definitely need it for tomorrow. The past few days seemed to go by rather quickly. Living with the H.I.V.E had gone surprisingly well, when they weren't driving Robin crazy. Between waking up before five in the morning, and going to bed around midnight; the group of teenagers managed to accomplish a lot for their upcoming plans.

Once Gizmo had fixed and upgraded his system, he went to work on upgrading the computer, their weapons, and even some appliances. Mammoth had been assisting him in the process. Robin was mildly impressed on their work with some of the new gadgets donated for his own utility belt. The small inventor had done all of that using the tools and whatever parts he had managed to salvage.

Jinx was on her feet again, practicing her acrobatics with the Boy Wonder. Though she was cautious about trying not to put too much weight on her still sore ankle. Robin had refused to let the young sorceress practice her magic inside. Out of fear of bringing the cave crashing down over their heads.

Muffling a yawn, Robin finished brushing teeth and stepped into the bedroom he had to share with the other two boys. Having roommates who actually shared a room... was an experience. With the giant who snored, and the midget who talked in his sleep, the Boy Wonder - actually wondered - how he got any rest at all.

He no longer dreamed. Perhaps it was because he was too exhausted, Robin didn't know or care. But it was a blessing. He was utterly defenseless in his nightmares, where his fears dominated him. No more. No more poisoned dreams of the past, that caused him to silently scream in the darkness.

There were times when he found himself waking up in the middle of the night, for no apparent reason. He suddenly became aware of the fact that his body was growing accustomed to his lack of sleep. He would lay down and close his eyes, an hour later Robin would feel strangely refreshed. He didn't find this discovery all that unusual, considering the times he spent under his mentor's wing.

Staring blankly up at the ceiling, his lips twitched into a small grin. During his training, Robin had been convinced the man behind The Bat, was indeed a machine. It didn't make sense how the man could spend all night as the vigilante Batman. Then after a couple hours of sleep as his alter ego, living a completely different life. A double life.

'Maybe I should try, when this is all over,' he thought, chewing his bottom lip. Liberate a city all by himself against a madman and his drones? Ridiculous perhaps, but not completely impossible. Even though the odds were stacked highly against him, he had to believe he could do this. Or die trying, at least.

Sitting up, Robin turned his head towards neon green numbers on the VCR clock. It was only one thirty in the morning. He still couldn't sleep, despite how tired he had been earlier. Once his mind was fixated on something, it was hard to let it go. So he laid back down, and stared up. Swallowing hard he reached over and touched his other hand. Lightly tracing around the healing bruise given to him by Slade's puppet.

'Slade...'

He wondered if the real man behind the mask slept at all. Did he dream? What kind of dreams did he have? If they were so alike, as the older man claimed, then did he have dreams of regret?

No, of course not. Robin glared at the ceiling, picturing that very masked face before his eyes. The man was as heartless as the robotic soldiers that served him. True, they were both ruthless; but he at least knew mercy. He did take those three other teenagers in an act of altruism, hadn't he?

'But you were only planning to use them,' said a dark voice in the back of his head. 'You were going to use them to your benefit at the start. Just like Slade had used Terra...'

Shut up!

'You already admitted it before.'

['But there's one big difference... he doesn't have any friends...']

'And now, you don't have any either.'

He growled a little, before turning on his side, burying his head under a pillow. If only to muffle out that devilish voice in his mind. The damned voice, that was right.

--------------------------

Stop. Rewind. Play.

Slade took in the sight of his human prey on the monitor screen. Still life images had come to life, taken from a first person perspective. More digital footage he had enrouted back from his mechanical duplicate. Crisp and clean, as if he were reliving the event through his own body.

He could see the boy, taken completely by surprise. It was a fatal move. The predator could have easily ended the hunt right then and there. Backed up against the edge of a cliff, he could have ended the last Titan's life. Could have thrown him into the freezing cold depths of the ocean. Could have made the robot self destruct while still holding him in it's grasp.

However, the hunter's objective was not to kill the prey, but to own it. To possess the younger man in every way. Body and soul.

Freeze frame.

Licking his lips, his eye focused only on the crime fighter's pale face. The boy turned to look away from his former home shared with the other Titans, and stared in wide-eyed shock at the camera eye. Entranced, the masked man watched his other's hand lightly caress the teenager's cheek.

Play. Fast forward. Stop.

Everything, even with Robin's ruthless backlash, had gone as he planned. Disillusionment and pain were the perfect tools to corrupt. The prey had taken a devastating blow to his pride and foolish heroic beliefs, that night. Soon they would shatter like glass, and Robin would have nothing to hide behind anymore.

He would show his young counterpart the truth. Heroes existed only in the black and white fairy tales with happy endings. Fictional characters standing above everyone else on their pure white pedestals. What goes up, must eventually come down. Heroes will fall. Their pedestals will tarnish and crumble to the dirt. It was time to close the children's book, and wake the child.

"You can't hide forever, Robin," he purred, watching the youth speed away on his motorcycle before the screen was filled with static. "It won't be long now... until you fly right into your own gilded cage."

--------------------------

Jinx was combing the last of the tangles from her hair when she entered the kitchen to see Robin. It wasn't unusual for him to be up so late, or so early, working on something. Or in this case, a variety of weapons and gadgets that covered the table. Yet it was rather puzzling watching him go to work, not wearing his normal 'Robin' costume.

The masked teenager was closely dressed in the black outfit he had rescued them in. Minus the skull faced mask. She noticed the only spot of crimson on the front of the spandex and leather suit. A bird. A red robin. How fitting.

"Was there something you needed?" he asked, without even looking in her direction. The young vigilante was strapping the blastor weapon he had been working on to his left wrist. Realizing that she was staring, the Sorceress averted her eyes.

"Just a drink," she answered, nodding toward the refrigerator. As she past him, Jinx noticed his hair was a little more in disarray, and damp from rain water. He had been out again. Looking for another fight most likely. "Where did you pick up the spare suit?"

He glanced up at the girl who sat herself across for him, a water bottle in one of her hands. She looked mildly impressed, staring at the set table. The arsenal laid out before them was enough for an army, and not an army of one. The image of the Titan leader carrying all this on his back and toppling over, nearly made Jinx choke on her drinking water.

Loading up his new black utility belt, Robin looked back down as he removed the useless Titan communicator. "Back at the Tower," he replied. "Went in stealth mode to pick up a couple of things I left behind. Just got back an hour ago."

"Why the change?" she pressed. Leaning back in her seat, Jinx kicked one foot up on the table. She proceeded to tie the laces of her brand new boots into perfect knots.

"Just wanted a new look." Robin shrugged as Jinx nodded approvingly, she believed it was a vast improvement than the red, yellow, and green he always wear.

The truth was, this suit was one of his first creations before putting the Red X costume together. Obviously the 'Robin' on the chest would have been a dead giveaway, so he dumped it. After several months after that incident, the reject costume still hung in his closet. When Star had told them about their possible future with their meeting with the time traveling criminal Warp. After looking at the outfit, she remarked that it had a striking resemblance to what his future self wear.

[ "So...Nightwing, huh?" ]

He almost wished that future was unchangeable. Even though his friends had drifted apart in that alternate time line. At least they would still be alive.

The teenage girl blinked as she watched him go perfectly still. Robin

was staring back at his old 'T' communicator. It was an easy guess that he was thinking about them again. Old wounds are just as painful as new ones. It was like picking a scab, refusing to let it heal.

Hesitantly, Jinx placed her water bottle down. "Uumm... do... do you want to talk about it?"

She was just as surprised at herself as Robin was. Offering herself for help? It wasn't like her. Even with Gizmo and Mammoth, she would simply tune out their random bouts of emotion. Except if it was serious. They were her friends after all... But Robin? He had been the target, the enemy.

Her confusion was mutual. Robin stared back at the former mercenary, wondering if she was sincere. After a few moments of - understandably - awkward silence, he went back to his work.

"Nothing to really talk about," he told her, attaching some grappling hooks to the belt. Well that wasn't true. There were plenty of things. Like his fear that he was going to become just like Slade over time. Or that he was starting to enjoy the H.I.V.E's company... but they would never be his friends. Never like the ones he had lost.

"Oh come on," she persisted, sitting up in her chair. "I'm bored, let's talk. Only to the point where we bond and I get too nauseous to eat breakfast. So... what did you want to be when you were growing up?"

He smirked a little, putting the devices he didn't intent to use in a pile. "Desperate, huh?"

She shot him a tiny glare, one of her eyes twitching with irritation. "I'll go first then." The sorceress cleared her throat for a moment, and her sour expression melted into a thoughtful one. "When I was little, I always wanted to design cool clothes. On my birthdays, my parents always gave me those Barbie dolls with the frilly pink outfits that made them look like Pepto-Bismol bottles."

For reasons he couldn't explain, Robin was actually paying attention. Looking at Jinx while he was setting more weapons aside. It wasn't every day a former villain began to tell you their past life. From the start of it, Jinx had a normal childhood. Perhaps the same went for her companions.

"Anyway," she continued. "I took one of my mother's fancy and ridiculously expensive silk scarves, and turned it into a new wardrobe for my dolls. They were awesome... I showed my mother and she... was... well... not so thrilled."

Her voice wavered a little at the end, and Jinx absently rubbed her wrists. Robin studied her closely and noted the slight fear in those cat like eyes. Fear... from her own mother? She met his gaze and shrugged, dispelling the emotion from her face. It was so sudden, he wondered if that expression had been there at all.

"We didn't get along," she said simply, dropping her hands. "So I left. Years later, I was recruited by H.I.V.E and then we met you guys..."

"You mean you were hired to kill me and my friends."

"Er..."

Robin waved dismissively, no longer concerned about the rest of the weapons laying on the table top. "Tell me about H.I.V.E - why was Slade selected to pick your final exam?"

The question didn't really surprise Jinx. It was the way the Boy Wonder leaned forward and stapled his fingers together. Suddenly Mr. I've-got-nothing-to-say was rather talkative.

"I don't know much about the deal, really," she admitted. "The contract was between the Alpha H.I.V.E mistress and Slade himself. Which means he was an extremely important client."

"In funding?" Dealing with the masked man's drones on several occasions, Robin knew the criminal mastermind had some serious financial backing. Hiring mercenaries, having an army of androids, and all that high technology at his disposal. You just didn't get all that in the bargain bin at the Walmart for Super Villains.

"That, and reputation," Jinx added. She finally overcame the weirdness of the situation. It was like talking to one of her girl friends back in the campus' dorms. Well, not exactly like that. She doubted the Titan leader would want to give each other manicures. "Slade is pretty popular with all the higher ups. Rumor has it, he takes off his mask during their meetings... a friend of mine knew this other person who knew another guy who knew."

Robin sweat dropped. He was in junior high, all over again. Yet, the thought of Slade with his mask off, did intrigue him. He drifted back and remembered the fight when one of his kicks had shattered the mask.

Both fighters landed in a crouch, the black portion of the mask fell to the ground between them. Indeed there was a face. Cloaked in shadows, but the outlines of a human face were barely visible. That single eye stared back at him in shock. It was then, Robin knew he had won. He had been close, very close, to exposing his arch nemesis.

"Hey, Robin?"

"Yeah?" he responded, snapping out of his reverie.

"You really aren't going to stay here by yourself, are you?"

How odd, he could actually hear concern in her voice. Though she had no reason to be. Nodding his head, he got up and cleared the table. The others would be getting up soon, and he didn't really didn't care for his arsenal getting splattered with waffle batter.

"Why?"

"I can't go back to living at the Tower with Slade's army on patrol."

"I know that!" she snapped suddenly. The girl stood up abruptly from her seat, toppling it over. "I mean - why do you have to stay behind and risk your life, while the people in the city ran like cowards?! Are all super heroes this stupid, or is it just you?!"

Robin stiffened, barring his teeth as he glared at her. The look alone would have made regular criminals pee their pants, but she stood her ground and refused to be intimidated. Taking a deep breath, she continued before he could open his mouth and shout at her.

"Look, Robin," she began, softening her voice just a little. "You're a good guy, and cool as super heroes come... but if you tell anyone that I just admitted that, I will give you seven years of bad luck."

His anger slowly dissipating the crime fighter relaxed his hands that had been clenched tightly into fists. Seeing that he wasn't going to storm out or attack, Jinx went on.

"Normally, I wouldn't care if you wanted to jump out of an airplane without a parachute, its your life." She began to stutter. "But... in this case... you've given them to the other jumpers and still jumped out of the plane anyway..."

"Huh?" Robin cocked his head to the side until realization struck. "You mean to tell me, you would actually feel guilty about leaving?"

"Just a little. Well not just me." She started to fidget. "Me and the guys. I mean you saved us ... and we owe you."

"Leave me the big screen TV, and we'll call it even."

Speaking of her companions, both the Titan leader and the mercenary sorceresss could both hear doors opening and slamming shut. Indicating that they were finally awake. I must have been past five in the morning if neither Robin nor Jinx had to dump ice cold water on them.

After cleaning up the rest of his mess, the masked teen turned toward the control room before her voice halted him. Hesitantly, he half turned to face his former foe. She was smiling a little, an awkward but friendly smile.

"You didn't answer my question."

"Hmm?"

"What did you want to be when you were growing up?"

He caved in. "I wanted to be..."

"Let me guess, leader of a group of do-gooders?"

"No."

"A cop?"

"Do you want me to tell you or not?"

"Alright... alright," she relented. "So what was it?"

Robin paused before sighing and returning that smile.

"A ringmaster."

--------------------------

Breakfast was spent in a peaceful silence. All four teens sat at the table, just enjoying their last meal together. The ex-mercenaries were, grudgingly, going to miss this. Who knew what they would have on the other side of the bridge.

Their bags were packed, and they were ready to go. Just after they finished eating. Weird how breakfast seemed to drag on for thirty minutes of silence. Robin wondered if the two others really did feel the same way as Jinx did.

"It's time to go," he finally announced as they finished cleaning up. "You guys ready?"

Absently they nodded their heads and followed him out.

--------------------------

The room was subtly lit from above, just bright enough to ease the eyes. Wintergreen opened the doors and stepped back as three figured trudged right in. The high chair at the control panel swiveled and its occupant surveyed his approaching visitors.

"Good, you're all here," Slade greeted.

Cinderblock, Plasmus, and Overload stood silently inline before their master. Mindless flunkies they were, but still very useful. They turned their heads as he gestured to the large split screen.

"Recognize these three?"

They shook their heads and Slade sighed as he enlarged one of the group pictures of his temporary operatives. Useless band of children who assumed they were worthy of being apart of his empire. He had no use for gutter trash.

"Now?"

Nodding their heads, he continued. "These vermin have been living in my city for quite some time now." Which could only mean his little Robin was generous enough to take them under his wing. The boy never ceased to amaze him. Far too trusting.

"They have been spotted heading north towards the bridge to make their escape. Your are to stop these children before they can cross. Destroy them if necessary... but leave one alive."

He did need a worm to catch the bird after all. As they proceeded out, Slade rose from his chair and descended the steps to the lower platform. Wintergreen was already walking behind him, ignoring the slimy trail Plasmus left in his wake.

"Fetch, Terra."

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Author's Notes:

Okay, I really rushed on this chapter. I know nothing about Jinx's past - and I'm making a little of it up as I go along. Now you know which 'Robin' I picked, doesn't really matter but in away, Robin revealed a little more of his past to his former enemy than he ever did to his team mates. I don't know, was it too soon? Were the characters too OOC in this chapter?

Feedback Responses:

(fanfiction.net)

**IHateSchoolVeryMuch - **Thank you for the compliment. I do try and proofread my stories. I'm just really lousy at it. Just waiting for my beta-reader to help me out, if she still wants to ::gives Cagalli-chan large watery kitten eyes::

**Emerald Star - **Robin's pride keeps him from leaving and/or asking for help. He does get this from Batman. My friend told me, that according to the DC comics, Batman refused to let the govt. get involve when Gotham became a "No man's land". Yes, you're right. The people who have left would try and take back the city by other methods, and probably will. Using airplanes and boats... only to be sunk or shot down by Slade's army.

**Claire - **In the show, yes. In the first season, Slade sort of wanted to be a father figure to Robin. Then in the second season, he practically ignores him except in 'Titan Rising' - "Good, Robin. Now I have you all to myself." ;

**Flick-chan - **Wow! I'm a genius! ::Head inflates:: So... what do you think of Robin's new Red X/Nightwing costume?

**TheDudeLordOfFantasy - **Hoped you like the new chapter. Jinx is trying to get closer to Robin, but no, this will not be a Jinx/Robin story.

**Teekoness - **My friend explained it to me, the deal with the two other Robins. Not so complicated, considering the animated series didn't want to kill off Batman's second side kick like that. Also it would have been easier to just switch their pasts, than doing another back story episode.

Thanks for all my reviews at Fanfiction.net, Adulfanfiction.net, and Mediaminer.org


	8. chapter 8

Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorrrrrryx10000 that I haven't updated all summer. This chapter isn't even beta-read (but the first 2 are, I'll be posting them up later).

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Three Way Mirror

Written By: Teno Hikari

Summary: Takes place in the 'Aftershock' episodes. Slade has taken over the city, and all the Teen Titans, except Robin, has fallen. Can the boy wonder stop Slade alone? Or will Terra clip his wings? (Slade/Robin)

Disclaimer: Well you know what I'm gonna say, I own nothing. That includes the Teen Titans. ::walks off to go sulk in the corner::

Warning: Spoilers for the show - at least for the 2 seasons.

Slash, Yaoi, M/M pairings. Adult situations. Mature readers only.

--------------------------

Chapter Eight

"Ahh! I love the smell of burning heaps of android trash in the morning!" Mammoth exclaimed. Cracking his knuckles, he absently tossed a severed arm over his shoulder. It landed in a pile of other robotic limbs that lay twitching on the ground. "It smells like..."

"Victory?" Gizmo offered.

"No, like burning heaps of android trash! Weren't you listening?"

The boy genius muttered one of his trade mark 'kludge-head' insults, turning back to his work. Aiming his flame thrower attached to his arm, he burned the writhing appendages to cinder. Spider legs lifted him upwards, jumping over a volley of assaulting laser fire, before landing onto the enemy shooters.

A few yards away, Jinx began to perform a series of amazing back flips as she gracefully dodged the shots fired at her. She grinned. The sorceress already began to weave her spell. Those shots ricochet off the steal beams on the bridge, blasting her assailments to bits.

She spun on her heel, delivering a roundhouse kick to the nearest mechanical opponent. As it went crashing down, she caught sight of the Boy Wonder, whom Jinx had been covering while he went to work planting explosives on one side of the bridge. Once he gave them the 'OK', they continued to move forward across the bridge.

They took out any obstacle that stood in their way with ease. It was almost too easy, and Robin hated it when it felt that way. In his mind he was already thinking of a contingency plan, just in case he had to activate the explosives sooner that he thought. Hopefully he could get the H.I.V.E members on the other side before then.

Using a grappling hook, Robin swung down and underneath the bridge once again. He could hear the fighting from above as he planted a few more explosive devices and secured them in place. Climbing up, the last Titan found a couple of armed soldiers waiting to greet him.

Before either could move, Robin saw a glimpse of a red mane and quickly ducked as androids went soaring above him. Hearing a loud splash from behind, he turned to look up at Mammoth who was dusting off his hands. Smiling, he pulled the smaller teenager up. Robin thanked him for the back up before they both turned to see their other companions fairing pretty well.

Gizmo was enjoying himself, kicking android butt immensely. Days of hard work perfecting his inventions had finally paid off. The Sorceress was backing her team mate, casting spells left and right. She was careful though not to inflict too much damage to the bridge, as her hexes lifted atidal waves from the sea, and swept the enemies away.

It reminded Robin of the first two times when the Titans fought with the H.I.V.E. The agents were nearly unbeatable now as they were then. Hard to believe this was the same team that had came close to dying while being hunted down.

"Huh... all finished?" the behemoth inquired, taking a look around. There were no more standing androids in sight.

Glancing at the remaining packs strapped to his arms, Robin shook his head. "Not quite. Four down and four more to go."

They also had more ground to cover. Reinforcements were sure to be on the way, he could bet his mask on it. Though, the Titan leader wasn't all that worried. Not even if the rest of Slade's army gathered on the bridge. Once all the explosives were in place, he'd take them all out at once.

'Killing two birds with one stone...' Robin inwardly frowned. He always did hate that analogy.

--------------------------

Stifling a yawn, Terra left her room after being awakened by Wintergreen and changing into her Apprentice uniform. She had been up late last night, though not on patrol. Surprisingly she had been finally given the night off. Which Terra had spent watching old movies that were left behind at an abandoned video store.

Though she wasn't stupid enough to believe that the small break was a gracious act from Slade. As long as she prowled the streets with her platoon of emotionless droids, Robin remained in hiding. When it all came down to it, this was all her former leader's fault.

Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she saw the three super henchman of Slade flanked the entrance. They turned to regard her, but said nothing. Mindless puppets. She of course, ignored them and went in to see Slade standing by his control panel.

"You wanted to see me, Master Slade?" Terra's tone was a bit impatient as she folded her arms across her chest. Doesn't he ever sleep? She wondered bitterly. Normally he would scold her, but this time he paid her lack of patience no heed.

"Observe."

Glancing at the screen, she saw a fight taking place on land near the water. The Jump City bridge. The location was swarmed with guards and tight security measures. No one could get through all that. No one...

Her blue eyes widened slightly catching a glimpse of a black clad figure taking out the nearby guards. Wait. What was that? Static quickly filled the screen before Slade gave another command to switch to another camera. This time they were both able to see a profile of the attacker. Terra went cold all over, her surprise quickly turned to anger. Even with the costume change, there was no mistaking it was indeed Robin.

"Should have known," she mumbled herself as a bird-a-rang struck the camera.

Static once again, before several camera recordings were shown on the monitors. There was more footage of Robin taking out the spy equipment, even those that had been well hidden on the bridge. The last Titan, much to her surprise, also wasn't alone. It wasn't possible. Yet clearly it was. Fighting alongside the Boy Wonder were three intervals... threatening looking ones at that.

"Who are they?" she inquired. "More Titans? Where did they come from?"

"No," Slade answered, obviously annoyed. "They were former operatives and agents of the H.I.V.E organization."

His apprentice was striving to appear interested so as not to offend him. She obviously didn't know what he was explaining to her. Mercenaries? H.I.V.E? If they were his operatives at some point, why were they teaming up with Robin? Who in their right mind would for that matter.

"I don't know anything about them..."

"But I do," he cut in sharply, "and you will take them out just as you had the Teen Titans."

"Yes, sir."

--------------------------

They just kept coming. More androids than Robin had ever seen in one place just kept charging forth, even as the four teenagers plowed their way through. Their was no strategy behind the robotic puppets' attacks. Merely keeping their enemy at back seemed to be the only objective.

'Unless they're stalling,' Robin thought irritably. Swinging his bo-staff at whatever stood in the way, he mentally began to count down the seconds. They were already a few minutes off schedule and his fingers itched to adjust the detonation time.

'No,' he stopped himself. 'Stick to the plan.'

Stepping over the mechanical corpses, Robin quickly caught Mammoth's gaze and nodded. Swinging back under the bridge, he began setting up another explosive, checking his time before, climbing back up. Quickly Dodging a punch to the jungular, the Boy Wonder reached out grabbed the android by the arm and yanked it down. He using the grappling hook again to ascend, watching the android plunge into the waters below.

Planting both feet on the ground, his eyes widen slightly at the mass number of androids streaming towards him. In the midst of the attacking crowd, his companions were still fighting. With no chance to rest for even a minute.

Dozens of them were piling on Mammoth, trying to pin the Behemoth down. Gizmo was being held down by the spider legs, cursing while trying to blast the ones that tried to jump at him. At the edge of the bridge, Jinx was backing further away, using hexes to cause small tidal waves to reach up and drag the enemy into the sea.

Robin helped Gizmo first, using his boomerangs and jumping in at the right moment to get Slade's henchmen to release their grip on him. Giving the boy genius a chance to revert the arachnoid weapon into a jet pack glider. Swerving back, Gizmo fired his beam cannon at the group of android henchmen after Robin leapt away and out of the blast radius.

Together they helped out their overwhelmed comrades and continued their long run toward the of the Jump City bridge. His bow staff held in one hand and several explosive disks in the other, Robin lead the mercenaries into yet another fight. The clock was ticking, nothing could be allowed to stop him now.

Jinx, like her fellow allies, were close to exhausted. In all her years at the HIVE academy, no training could equal fighting the inhuman army of a madman. The soldiers weren't exceptional opponents like the Teen Titans had been in their last fight, but the sheer number was overwhelming.

Had she been in charge, they would be running with their tails tucked between their legs. But, that was just it. Robin was in charge. The Titan leader had gotten them into this, leading them into a fight that could most likely kill than save them.

Had it been another Titan who proposed such a plan, Jinx could guarantee that she and her comrades would have turned away in a heart beat. The Boy Wonder was different. Jinx knew it, as did Mammoth and Gizmo. Whatever Robin got set out to do, it got done.

Living with the do-gooder these past couple of days, she saw a side of Robin that probably annoyed his former team mates. Whenever he wasn't eating, sleeping, or training - he was formulating scenarios for almost every contingency that may occur. A true leader, Jinx and the others had to admire that in him.

It was too bad, that he was a leader without a team.

She was about to give Robin the thumbs up to put the last bomb in place, when the ground shook beneath her feet. An earthquake? Now of all times? A strong arm caught her before she hit the concrete, and Jinx looked up to smile at Mammoth before the two turned their attention to the new arrival.

--------------------------

Descending from above on a floating rock pedestal, Terra smirked down at her prey. Her cold blue eyes briefly scanned the battlefield that the bridge had become, before locking her gaze on to Robin. The Titan leader sneered back at her. The grief and hatred from their last confrontation was still present in his voice.

"I was wondering when he would send you."

She glared back down at him, resisting the urge to scratch the sudden itch on her face. Hidden behind a curtain of blonde hair, the slowly healing facial wound was starting to irritate her. Just like Robin was doing now.

"And I," she spat back at the Titan leader, "was wondering when you would crawl out of your hidey hole, coward."

The HIVE mercenaries looked back and forth between the two teens who stared one another down. Wondering which one was going to explode into sudden action. Neither of them moved.

"Hey, kludge-head." Gizmo approached on his slightly repaired mechanical spider legs. "What the heck is going on? Who's the bombshell?"

"Not now, Inspector Gadget."

Gritting his teeth, Robin took notice that the levitating pedestal supporting Terra wasn't just a hunk of rock. Arms and legs uncurled, and a stony face lifted to stare at them. This of course freaked the other teens out, watching the hulking form that was Cinderblock land. Sitting atop the stone figure's shoulder, Terra smirked at them as they momentarily lost their balance.

Catching himself quickly, the Boy Wonder caught sight of the electrical currents running up the bridge cables. In back of Cinderblock, the electrifying figure of Overload formed before them. To the right, Plasmus, the large gelatinous blob joined them.

"I also brought some new buddies of my own." Terra smiled, nodding to the three humanoid henchmen. "Four against four."

Slipping out a few more explosive discs from his utility belt, Robin sneered at Slade's new apprentice. "And I suppose the army behind you is just going to sit out?"

His eyes darted between the three criminals, remembering their old clashes with the Titans. What was Slade thinking, sending those three out to fight on a bridge over the sea. Overload would crash as soon as it made direct contact with H2O, Plasmus would probably disintegrate, and Robin doubted that Cinderblock would be able to swim under water.

"Of course. They'd just get in the way," Terra answered absently. With a gesture of her glowing hands, large slabs of concrete were torn from the ground. "After all, they were only here to make sure you chickens didn't runaway."

"HEY!" Growling, Gizmo aimed his beam cannon at the four newcomers.

"Who are you calling poultry?!"

Robin inwardly sighed. The boy genius who was short in size, had an equally short fuse to match. He half expected Terra to use her geo-moving powers to counter the blast. Much to his surprise, all she did was calmly sit there on Cinderblock's shoulder. Then the rock giant turned slightly and extended his arm. The shot harmlessly bounced right off the smooth surface of his palm.

Gizmo gaped in disbelief, "No freaking way!"

"Nice try, baldy. Slade told us all about you failures."

With a gestures of her index finger, Cinderblock hand broke off at the wrist and shot straight toward Gizmo. The impact knocked the small boy to the ground as those stone knuckles wrapped around his throat.

"Grroffamree!!!"

Mammoth was instantly at his side, wrenching the hand off before it crushed his teammate's windpipe.

Eyes narrowing into slits on his mask, Robin quickly thought about their options. Normally in confrontations with these criminals, Robin would have gestured for the Titans to attack together. But these weren't the same bad guys he had encountered in the past.

'Titans GO!'

It was hard to hold back from shouting out that command. Robin had to remind himself again - for the umpteenth time - that these teens weren't the Titans. Instead, he raised the trigger on his arm, causing the trio's eyes to bug out.

'Run.'

"H-Hey what are you doing?!"

Robin just met Terra's disbelieving gaze. Holding up the trigger in one hand, the other retracted the bo-staff and hooked it to his belt. He stepped forward as the three mercenaries retreated.

"It's too bad Slade isn't here to die with you." Robin lowered the trigger and showed the girl another one hiding in his glove. Terra was confused now and immediately commanded Cinderblock to grab the Boy Wonder with his other hand.

"You're bluffing!"

He didn't struggle as that fiercely strong fingers wrapped around his throat. Slowly, he counted down from twenty. Giving the others as much time to run to the other side as possible.

At the end of his countdown, he held up both triggers before her eyes and smirked. Robin pressed them both down.

"A-am I?"

--------------------------

The mercenary trio stopped in their tracks in shock as they heard the explosion sound all the way back to the other end of the bridge. Mammoth nearly lost his balance, looking nervously to his teammates as he heard the ground shake underneath his feet. Turning his head, Gizmo's beady little eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as they caught sight of flailing bridge cables.

"What the freaking hell?! He wasn't supposed to activate them yet!"

Jinx gulped as another explosion went off. Followed by another. The teenage sorceress glance around the battlefield, wondering if Robin was all right handling the three. All she could make out over the smoke was the girl from earlier hovering on rocks, looking around wildly for her companions.

Another explosion. This was all happening too fast.

"Don't just stand there, Jinx!" Mammoth yelled over the eruption.

"Kludge head, get your ass in gear!"

Turning around, she noticed her teammates already had a head start. Hesitating a little, Jinx followed. Ignoring her nagging conscience that insisted she go back for Robin. The hero who didn't run away when they needed his help.

However, the internal struggle begin to die down as those thunderous sounds seemed to come closer and closer. The groan of metal splitting above her head, made Jinx quicken her pace. Noticing the concrete began to crack like thin ice under their feet as she raced to catch up with the others.

Up ahead, Gizmo adjusted his glider to carry more weight as he extended his long reach steel claw to pull Mammoth up. When a large chuck of the bridge broke apart under the giant's feet and plunged into the sea. He had to work fast though; inputting the right equations into his system to maintain balance. After he was certain they were stable, he looked for his other teammate.

"Jinx!" He called out worriedly, casting a glance over his shoulder to see the huge smoke screen behind them.

The Sorceress' speed and agility was being put to the test as she struggled to keep moving forward. Until she caught up to pace with them glider, taking the offered cable, and pulling herself without the glider slowing down.

Putting his goggles on, Gizmo accelerated the rest of the way. "Whatever you do," he instructed them over the collapse of the bridge, "don't look back!"

Mammoth while hanging on, groaned and turned sickly green. Feeling his breakfast try to "rise and shine". However the green color didn't last as he glanced upwards and felt all the color drain from his face.

"Holy crap!" he exclaimed, "the bridge is gonna fall right on us!"

The Boy Genius gritted his teeth. Mammoth closed his eyes as well while bracing himself for the impact. Gizmo continued to accelerate, ignoring the frequent warning that his jet pack overheating. At this moment he didn't care if his precious system crashed or was damaged beyond repair. Not with his and his friends' depending on it.

"Hey! What part of "don't" don't you get!?"

"You said 'don't look back', not don't look up!"

"Don't make me gauge your eyes out!"

Jinx squeezed her own eyes shut as the cables fell, nearly missing them by a foot. "Both of you - just shut up!"

The other two did just that. They finally made it to the other side just as the bridge went down. And Robin went with it.

--------------------------

Author's Notes:

Finally! Sorry for the late, un-beta read, and cliff-hanging chapter. Writer's Block is evil.

Feedback )

SQOZ - I emailed you earlier after you posted the review; I have only posted 8 chapters so far, not 15.

Claire - I'm guessing Slade decided to let Robin go - for the time being - and settle with Terra because of her power and the fact she was at a breaking point. Terra was running from her past from the start, the fact that she couldn't control her powers had devestating consequences for those she tried to save.

Flick-chan - Again, I love your long reviews. As for Robin's costume change... to be honest, I really loved him as Red X. However, the black and symbolize the darkness forming within him ... it's not about stopping the bad guy anymore.

sailoryaoimoon - My Sorcerer Hunter stories are on hold.

Ghene - The city doesn't even look like Gotham... it's too colorful. It kind of looks like a cross between San Francisco and Tokyo. Other than Waaaaay out there OCC stories, I can't stand for "I want at least 10 reviews before I post the next chapter!" - WTH?

ImperialRage - You can eat my legs, just leave me my arms


	9. chapter 9

Three Way Mirror

Written By: Teno Hikari email: /

Summary: Takes place in the 'Aftershock' episodes. Slade has taken over the city, and all the Teen Titans, except Robin, has fallen. Can the boy wonder stop Slade alone? Or will Terra clip his wings? (Slade/Robin)

Disclaimer: Well you know what I'm gonna say, I own nothing. That includes the Teen Titans. ::walks off to go sulk in the corner::

Warning: Spoilers for the show - at least for the 2 seasons. Slash, Yaoi, M/M pairings. Adult situations. Mature readers only.

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Chapter Nine

Terra didn't expect to wake up for the second time that day. The last thing she remembered was falling... along with the Jump City bridge. Her powers had failed her, and not for the first time in her life. Or maybe at the time she wanted to die. Terra couldn't remember. However, what she did know, was that she was very much alive. If you could call it that while shivering from head to toe; soaking wet in a shallow puddle of muddy water.

Slowly she sat up, a movement Terra immediately regretted as a sharp, searing pain seemed to begin from her shoulder and travel down to her right wrist. Supporting herself with her other arm, she began to shiver even more. Cold. So Cold. The phrase "ice water in your veins" would have made her laugh, if only her teeth could stop from chattering.

"Hold still."

The voice sounded distorted to her ears. She blinked, and glanced up to see a blurred figure in black standing over her. At first, Terra believed it was Slade who was speaking to her. Funny, she didn't remember him being so... short.

Wait a minute-

Terra turned quickly and instantly regretted moving again as she suddenly felt nauseous. Her head ached and the whole world seemed to be spinning around her. It wasn't long before she could feel the bile burning in her throat.

'G...Gonna hurl!'

Ignoring the person before her, Terra turned her head to the side and threw up. God, she hasn't felt this sick since... the Titans. When she finished, the earth mover wiped her mouth and sneered. It all started coming back to her. After the bridge collapsed, she was lucky to have been alive.

Why oh why did he have to be her savior?!

Before her sprawled form stood Robin, who unfortunately, was very much alive as she was.

--------------------------

Wintergreen didn't even flinch as the slamming of a fist on steel and the shattering sound of glass that echoed throughout the room. Quiet as always, he stepped forward with a small brush and dust pan and cleaned up the mess. Over the years of servitude for this man, he had grown accustomed to these situations although they were rare.

The man he had served for many years without question, was one with patience, perseverance, and endurance. It was how such a man had managed to stay one step ahead of his opponents. And of course, it was how he had stayed alive.

However, this time Slade's patience had been worn remarkably thin over the past few hours. The older gentle man couldn't blame him as he stepped back in his place and quietly regarded the masked man. That single dark eye was glaring angrily up at the monitors before him - all of them playing static.

It happened ever since Terra's encounter with Robin at the Jump City Bridge. After that several signals from Slade's robotic henchmen - including the inhuman Cinderblock, Plasmus and Proteus - had gone offline. All communication with his apprentice had been cut off.

Behind the mask, Slade let out a low growl as he used the control panel to pull up Terra's statistics. On screen he was able to monitor her vital signs through the suit of armor she wear. It served as a link for him to monitor the girl and of course gave him access to her powers and more. Much more that even Terra herself had yet to realize.

The girl was alive, Slade had confirmed after checking her vitals. Perhaps a little sick with a fever after the bridge collapsing... but alive. The suit was damaged to the point where he wouldn't be able to wake her if she were unconscious.

"Shall I go after Miss Tera and the others?" Wintergreen offered as he stood by his Master's side.

"No."

Rising from his throne like chair, Slade stood and switched the monitors off before turning to leave.

"I'll deal with this mess, myself." 

--------------------------

After dropping a dry blanket over the shivering girl, Robin walked away and settled back down across from her. The small fire crackled noisily as the flames consumed another piece of dry wood from the lumber he had packed away nearby. Along with some food, blankets, and medical supplies he had hidden on the mainland.

He knew that blowing up a bridge while still on it was suicidal, but the teen had no intention of dying just yet. Everything he had been planning since the city had been taken over was falling into place like puzzle pieces. The next step was going to be even more challenging than the first, but no matter what he had to accomplish it.

His ears picked up some rustling movements from the girl's direction. Lifting his head, he saw her passed the flickering embers, trying to rap the blanket even tighter around her trembling body. He regarded her quietly, knowing from the damage done to the apprentice suit, she must have been colder than he was.

Finally after several minutes of silence, Terra's blue eyes met his masked ones.

"Why?" 

Why, indeed. Who knew such a single word question could be so difficult to answer. The crime fighter remembered not too long ago he had asked the same thing from her when she had turned traitor. That same question. 'Why?'. Followed by the answer that was straight as a spiral. 'Because you were born!'? What the hell did that even mean?

Instead of answering, Robin just shrugged which caused the girl's eyes to narrow in irritation. He didn't owe her an explanation. Though it wasn't like the truth was going to help either. If Terra had somehow known what he was up to, she would have given Robin a very nasty piece of her mind.

For now, it looked like Slade's apprentice had given up on their glaring contest and scooted closer to the fire. Slowly she reached out, a couple inches from the flames, and let it's heat warm the pale skin of her hands. Watching her, it reminded Robin that she was human. Flesh and blood, rather than steel and circuits.

"Eeew..."

The young man turned his attention back to his companion to see Terra pulling out some dark squishy mass from her hair.

"Seaweed? Gross!"

Flicking the disgusting thing from her fingers, Terra looked up suddenly as the soft sound of chuckling. Raising her head to see over the warm glow of the flames, she saw the Boy Wonder was trying to sit perfectly still. Trying to, anyway. His shoulders were shaking in laughter even though he had stopped a few seconds after he had released it.

"What's so funny?"

A second later the boy had calmed down and begin to add another piece of wood to keep the fire going. As she refused to be ignored this time, Terra tried to stand. Didn't the bird-boy know she could crush him like an ant?

"Nothing really," Robin answered almost...timidly. "I just remembered the past. When we took you to the Tower the first time. You were really hungry, and ate everything in sight. Including Starfire's seaweed Glorge. I guess you've gotten pretty picky now."

The scowl on Terra's face melted away as she plopped back down on the ground. Why was he thinking about that of all times? Back then they barely uttered more than a few words to each other. She didn't even think he really cared for those times back on the team.

"Why?" she repeated, absently raking through the wet sand with her finger nails. "Why did you save me?"

Robin was no longer looking at her. Instead his gaze was fixated elsewhere. With the mask on, the earth-mover couldn't tell; but she had a feeling it wasn't on her.

"So why didn't you let me die?" Once again Terra pressed, not knowing why she cared so much. "You said... you said that my last chance was up."

Terra thought back to the day the Titans had fallen. Face pressed against the cold chain link fence, she remembered that fight before he had managed to get away. One last chance, a request that was given to the Titan leader by Beast Boy. Her flashback was interrupted when Robin finally looked her way. She wondered if he was glaring behind the piece material stuck to his face.

"I did," Robin responded casually. He wasn't looking directly at his former team mate anymore. Only the trademark angular 'S' that belonged to his nemesis. "But..."

Slade.

"I won't let myself become like you."

--------------------------

"Jiiinx," Mammoth whined as they continued to trudge their way from the shore and into the a forrest leading towards the city. "I need to take a leak!"

"Jeez, do I look like your mommy?! Go... do your business behind those trees."

Waving the behemoth size teenager away, a drenched and annoyed Jinx glanced down at their shorter companion. Gizmo was still getting over their near death experience. Sure as mercenaries, they faced danger on all sorts of occasions. Never before did they actually have to run for their lives like that.

When Gizmo's jet-pack started to malfunction at the last second, the sorceress actually believe she was going to die. They say when you face death, your life flashes before your eyes. That was a lie. After their 'joy ride' was over and when they were on land again, her heart reverted back to its original pace. All three of them were alive... and the one person who was responsible for that, probably wasn't.

Plopping down on a log, the boy genius used a mini torch after gathering a couple sticks off the ground and setting them on fire. Shivering, Jinx sat down alongside him, hoping it would keep them warm until morning. Both remained quiet as they just sat there with their eyes on the campfire.

Mammoth returned, breaking the silence when he returned. Complaining about how hungry he was, and planned to go hunt down some chipmunks for dinner. The giant also muttered out how he was hoping that make-shift toilet paper he used wasn't poison oak.

Gizmo opened his mouth to utter something crude as a response while looking for some food in his jumpsuit pockets. Whatever he had planned to retort never made it passed his lips. Instead of finding what he hoped was left of a candy bar, in his hand was their group communicator. One that Robin gave to each of them, prior to the mission on the bridge.

Sitting Indian-style on the ground, Mammoth took out a similar one that was attached to his belt. It was busted, crushed under his weight when he had fallen down. "You... you guys think he's still alive?"

Jinx reached down and glanced at her own communicator attached to a band around her arm. Hesitantly she traced over it's surface, seeing no major damages on it. But only the computer whiz of their trio would really know if these devices were still functional.

"Hard to tell," she began, finally tearing her gaze away. "I mean he was still standing on the bridge when it went down..."

"Crazy idiot," Gizmo grunted as he carefully removed the back cover to check the circuits. "There's only one way to find out." 

--------------------------

'I won't let myself become like you.'

Terra would have shouted something back at the Boy Wonder, but for some reason the words wouldn't come out. Liar. Traitor. Murderer. She shuddered at the last word and thought back to the first someone had called her that. Way before she met the Titans. It had been an accident, she couldn't control her powers back then. It wasn't her fault. But of course no one would believe her.

This time around it was different. It was intentional. Beast Boy, Cyborg, Starfire, and Raven. Former friends and foes - each fell at her hand. What was scary, was how easy it was. 

'You are getting stronger, my dear,' Slade had told her after their victory over the city. 'Soon you will become a force to be reckon with.'

That was what she wanted... wasn't it? She may not have been the brightest crayon in the box; but Terra knew that being a 'force to be reckon with' was for Slade's benefit, not hers. She knew he only recruited her for those powers, turned her against her friends. But they had turned away from her as well, without trying to understand. That's why she killed them. They deserved it, right?

Liar.

"Terra."

Traitor.

"Terra."

Murderer.

"Terra."

"Don't call me that!" she snapped angrily at the Titan Leader. The girl instantly regretted the outburst, but of course did show any sign of it.

His masked eyes widened slightly in confusion. "Fine then," he said after a long awkward silence. His lips then curved in a small smirk as he added, "Bitch."

Terra's shivering from the cold ceased as her blood began to boil. She shot the other teenager a heated glare. If looks could kill, Robin would have been pulverized under the very ground he was sitting on. It was then that she realized, that wasn't a difficult task to do. 

Hands fisting at her sides, Terra picture the earth underneath the boy to lift. Nothing happened. She blinked, that was odd. One more time she tried, her dark blue eyes narrowed in determination. Again, nothing. What the hell?!

Watching in bemusement, Robin's smirk widened a little as he realized what she was up to. Idly he leaned back as she continued to raise the ground in vain. It was only when the girl noticed that the familiar golden glow that used to encase her body was not to be seen did she finally realize something was horribly wrong.

"My... my powers?!"

--------------------------

Both Jinx and Mammoth were fidgeting silently as they watched the boy genius go to work. Using some tools that he always packed inside his arm guard, Gizmo was carefully trying to re-wire his communicator to send out a signal. Hoping that it would get across to Jump City, and that a certain crazy bird brain hero would respond.

"What if he is alive?" the larger teen asked out loud. "What are we gonna do? I mean we can't go back."

The sorceress frowned a little, "We'll cross that bridge when we get there. We need to find out if he isn't dead first."

"Bridge? I thought it went falling down?"

Jinx rolled her eyes. "It was a metaphor... moron."

"Will you both shut your canyon sized traps?!" Gizmo hissed at them, "I'm trying to work here!"

"Sorry."

--------------------------

Terra was shaking violently. Not from the decrease in temperature; but in shock and horror as she stared at her own trembling hands. What was wrong with her? What had happened to the very power she had considered a blessing and a curse? Where had it gone?

Without thinking, she slammed both of her fists into the ground, hoping it would have some impact. Nothing. Not even a crack as she felt a throbbing pain shoot up from the wrists to her arms. Once more, she pounded into the Earth and was rewarded with the same dull ache.

"What...?" she breathed heavily, "What the hell is wrong with me?!"

She tried hitting the ground again. Still nothing. And again, striking it as if it were a comatose hospital patient that needed to wake up. Bruises began to form, and she didn't care. Her fingers dug deeply into the dirt, as if her earth moving abilities were buried under it.

Finally, falling forward on her hands and knees - she held back a small sob of frustration in her throat. But failed miserably. Her powers - a vital part of who she was - were gone. They've abandoned her. She was nothing without them, and had no value as Slade's Apprentice. So this was what hitting rock bottom felt like.

So wrapped up in self pity, the blonde didn't even notice Robin get up to stand before her. What was he going to to do anyway? Kick dirt in her eye while gloating? A hand reached down and caught the girl by the shoulder and lifted her up to stand.

"Terra..."

She kept her head bowed, glaring darkly at his grip on her shoulder. His grip, was so like Slade's... and it was so close to crushing her windpipe. So was this it? Did he save her from a watery grave just to draw out her death?

"Go ahead," she huffed, "Do it..."

Robin tightened his grip a little - as if fighting temptation. Shaking his head, with his other head he raised her chin so he could look at her face. At the faint scar on her face to be exact.

"As I said earlier," he replied in a low voice that made her shiver, "I won't become like you."

Reaching up with her bruised hands, she gripped his arm with all the strength she could muster. Which probably wasn't much, as Robin hardly even flinched at the pressure. Knowing right now that he could break her in half if he wanted too... it was like rubbing salt into an open flesh wound. She hated being weak.

"Don't give me that crap," she spat at him. "What would your friends think, that you chickened out trying to avenge them? That you let them die and letting the one who killed them - live?"

She winced as the grip increased, and knew bruises in the shape of Robin's finger prints were beginning to form on her shoulder. Mentioning the other Titans, had of course been the right button to press. It may have be suicidal, but she would be damned if she were to cry and beg for him to put her out of both of their misery.

--------------------------

"Okay, got it!"

The former HIVE members perked up to see Gizmo through off his goggles and was now beaming at his work. He turned the communicator over his hands, before switching it on. Curious, the giant and the sorceress gather around to listen anxiously.

There was static, a lot of it.

"Uumm..." Mammoth scratched his head. "That doesn't sound like him."

Gizmo growled and raised his hand, ready to hurl the blasted piece of equipment against a tree trunk. That was until the static broke a part a little and they actually heard a voice speaking. More importantly, Robin's voice.

"...w-w-won't...b-e-eecom..."

"Gizmo, wait!"

Jinx gasped and quickly grabbed the midget's hand to stop him from hurling the communicator away. He cried out in surprise but was quickly shushed by Mammoth who clamped a large hand over his face. Unable to breathe and stuck in a 'Statue of Liberty' pose, Gizmo tried to stay still as Jinx moved in close to the speaker.

"Robin!" Jinx called out. "It's us, we made it to the other side. Where are you?"

More static.

"Mmmmrrrmrrr!" Gizmo mumbled angrily as he was turning a dark purple from Mammoth suffocating him. The giant grinned sheepishly and moved his hand as he caught sight of those beady eyes glaring murderously at him.

"Oops."

"What I was trying to say," he began while taking deep breaths. "The audio part is busted. He won't be able to hear us."

The three mercenaries glanced at one another.

"That's a problem, isn't it?"

--------------------------

Taking a deep breath, Robin's crushing hold relaxed a bit. "After all the months you've lived with us, fought along side us; You don't know anything about the Titans."

The ex-Titan just blinked as the masked boy's response.

"They wouldn't want your death," he told her. "They would want you wake. And realize that you need to turn away from the path you've taken as Slade's Apprentice. Killing you won't bring them back, nor will it honor their memory."

Robin tried to believe what he was saying as he continued. "I won't kill you, Terra. Stopping Slade is what really matters now. Until you understand and accept this, I won't let you use your powers to get in my way."

"You...?"

The last part had stunned Terra. So he was responsible for the loss of her geo-kinetic abilities. Instead of just killing her, he had taken something that she never knew could be stolen.

"How?"

With his gloved finger, he began to stroke the facial scar. Terra flinched and remembered the searing pain that his boomerang had caused. Suddenly realization hit her, much like a speeding train.

"Nano-machines," he explained hesitantly, "in your blood stream. Right now they've taken control of your nervous system, and overriding Slade's control from the suit."

Reluctantly, she released his arm, only to slap him in the face.

"Bastard!" the girl sneered hatefully and tried push herself away from him. "Both of you are sick. Hacking me from the inside like I'm some piece of equipment gone haywire?!"

"Sorry," he said without sounding very apologetic. "It was the only way."

Oh, if only looks could kill now. The young man standing before her, would be laying in his own blood and guts; then pulverized under Titan Tower. Repeatedly.

"You're so full of shit, Robin! You've claimed that you're nothing like Slade, well that's just bull!"

The bone crushing grip had returned.

"Shut up..." he spoke quietly, the low and dangerous tone in his voice was clearly a warning. But unfortunately, it fell on his former ally's deaf ears. "Just shut up."

"You're exactly the same!" She snapped almost hysterically.

"I said..."

"You're practically mirror images of each other!"

"...SHUT UP!"

Without thinking, he pulled Terra close. Grabbing a fist full of her blonde hair the former Titan Leader forced her to look up at him. Before Slade's Apprentice could say anything else, she was silenced by Robin's lips.

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Author's Notes

Whew. Finally finished. Sorry it took me so long with this chapter, I've been stuck in several places... and now have an unhealthy obsession with another anime: Naruto. Again, this is a rough-draft with grammar and spelling landmines littered everywhere, hopefully no one will be blown to smithereens.

Okay, I know what you're all probably thinking: "Why the hell did Robin kiss Terra if this is Slade/Robin fic?!" Well I hope it would catch on, that the "Three" in the title hints to three main pairings: Slade/Robin, Robin/Terra, and Terra/Slade. So yaoi lovers - rest of assured you'll have your slash - which is coming soon, I promise!

Feedback Responses: )

Has-Bei Padolsa: Ummm, I don't think I'm gonna eat that cookie now.

jess: You're giving me your first born, what am I going to do with it?

Atrinoisa: ::breathes normally after realizing that her head isn't going to be blown off:: I don't mind the stalking, really, as long as it doesn't lead to anything homicidal.

sailoryaoimoon: OMG. HAUNTED. SLASY. Yes. Yes it was. Robin strapped down to his bed with Slade with a torture device ::doesn't dare go on because FFNET won't allow a NC-17 rating::

A to Z: It's slashy if you're a yaoi fan with your mind in the gutter. The two are obsessed with one another - and you can't help but think that there's something more.

tiger witch: Of course I couldn't kill Robin. The other Titans, yes ::dodges sharp and pointy objects:: but Robin, no.

StolenDreamer: Yeah, Robin may not realize it yet, but he is slowly turning into Slade - and finally Terra points it out to him.

j752572: Soooooddaaaaa.

TheDudeLordOfFantasy: As always, you've managed to stay one step ahead as a reader - yes the HIVE have an important role to play and it's not over yet.

Emerald Star: I'm glad they can be ignored. They drive me nuts though. If you catch them, could you report the errors to me? I'll be writing final drafts once I have time and would like to fix those mistakes. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Three Way Mirror**

**Written** By: Teno Hikari

**Summary:** Takes place in the 'Aftershock' episodes. Slade has taken over the city, and all the Teen Titans, except Robin, has fallen. Can the boy wonder stop Slade alone? Or will Terra clip his wings? (Slade/Robin) (Robin/Terra)

**Disclaimer: **If I owned "Teen Titans" the animated series... I would have brought Slade back.

**Warning:** Spoilers for the show - at least for the 2 seasons. Slash, Yaoi, M/M pairings. Adult situations. Mature readers only.

**--------------------------**

**Chapter Ten**

As a crime fighter, the Boy Wonder had often depended on his instincts and reflexes in any type of stressful situation. They could all go to hell right about now. Robin couldn't really explain what was going on in his head when he pulled Terra close. It was like a knee jerk reaction. She had hit a nerve, and he kicked out.

Or at least he wished he had.

Instead of pushing the blonde away, he had shut her up effectively by placing his mouth over hers. Such an assault on one's lips, he knew, was called a kiss. Robin had never kissed anyone in such a manner (The closest had actually been on the prom date with Kitten - Killer Moth's spawn of evil - and he was STILL repressing those memories). Not just anyone, Terra of all people. Why, in the name of all that was reasonable, did he choose to lip lock with her?

The fall, Robin wanted to believe, had to have been the cause. At some point he must have hit his head. Weird... because he didn't feel concussed. The Titan didn't know what he felt except the confusion for his own actions. Finally, he broke away for air and released the girl who staggered backwards.

_'He kissed me.'_

Terra instantly slapped a hand over her lips as if his mouth had scalded them. Her features were unreadable... but there was definitely shock there. Or maybe it was from the fear that boy would kiss her again. Hmm... would that be a bad thing?

"W-W-What?" she managed to utter behind her fingers.

He honestly didn't know if he could answer; for Robin didn't know it himself. What he did know, was that it wasn't a sign of affection. Of course not, this was the girl who betrayed his team and helped their enemy annihilate them.

She was everything he could have been; had he not made the right choice back then. Robin knew that if he had persisted in the path Terra was treading, it would have led him to the same conclusion. Being Slade's Apprentice would have carved anyone's soul out, leaving them bitter and empty.

Instead of responding to her question, the young man just turned and sat back down while she just continued to stare at him. "Listen Terra," he said at last, breaking the silence. "Just listen to what I have to say. After that, you can do whatever the hell you want."

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"I don't know which one of us has the most screws loose," Gizmo muttered under his breath while staring at his team mates walking ahead of him. "Jinx for coming up with these crazy ideas, Mammoth for always falling for everything she says, or me for actually going through with your scatter brain plan."

Mammoth rolled his eyes while holding one of those fancy speed boats - which surely weighed more than a small truck - over his shoulders. Anchor included. This was not at all considered unusual among his peers.

Both the giant and the sorceress just chose to tune their team mate out, knowing full well that if Gizmo really didn't want to go through with this, he would have ditched them by now. They were mercenaries after all. Once a job was done they moved on with no strings attached to their previous commitment.

But Gizmo was weird like that. Maybe that was why he had been at that 'Tournament of Heros' event that Robin mentioned. Glancing over at the midget who had finally stopped complaining, Jinx couldn't help but grin. The foul mouth little boy just couldn't admit that he was a nice guy.

Beady little black eyes quickly locked onto her own and Gizmo blinked in confusion.

"What're you looking at?"

Normally the sorceress would have looked away as a response but her smirk widened like a Cheshire cat's. "You have a leech hanging on the back of your head."

At that, the boy's eyes widened in terror and began to smack himself to get the invisible blood sucking pest off. She did her best to stifle some giggles at her comrade's antics. Back in the HIVE Academy, people would get annoyed with Gizmo and his bragging. So she simply told him how certain bugs could crawl into a person's ear and eat their brains out. Gizmo skeptical at first, but with a couple of pranks here and there - he freaked out and ran screaming trying to swat the non-existent critters off him. His reactions never ceased to amuse her as he past in past them, slapping the back of his bald head.

Mammoth shot her a weary glance, a Gizmo with a screw loose was the last thing they needed. Jinx just shrugged a little and grinned.

"I needed that."

By the time they arrived at the harbor, the hysterical little evil genius had managed to calm down. Now all Mammoth had to do was lower the boat into the water and prevent Gizmo from drowning Jinx in the process. Easy as cake... wait that didn't sound right.

"Down you go," he grunted and dropping the boat into the water. A loud splash followed, soaking both the teenage witch and their mad midget companion. It had easily extinguished their little squabble. Before Gizmo could scream at his incompetence after coughing up sea water, a figure surfaced before them.

"What's the big idea? Who carelessly tosses a boat like that?"

The three HIVE mercenaries just stared in confusion as the young man, accompanied by two dolphins carefully approached them. He stared at each of them until his pupil-less gaze settled on the shortest member of their team. Gizmo snorted, recognizing the newcomer immediately, and stepped forward.

"Long time no see, Lilypad."

In annoyance, the sub-mariner splashed him with a small wave.

"It's Aqualad."

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From a short distance, Slade watched the fight between the two teenagers with interest. Perched up on a telephone pole, the masked man could see them clearly from where they fought a couple yards from shore. They both seemed unconcerned with the crashing waves around their ankles along with the remaining debris that didn't sink into the ocean.

Momentarily turning his attention away from the dueling children, he settled his gaze to where the bridge had once stood. Indeed it was a set back, but only a minor one. It was an unpleasant and unwelcome surprise. He had underestimated his opponent again. Believing he had the Boy Wonder where he wanted him. Slade never expected that the youth would actually team up with former enemies. Nor did he expect Robin to risk his life to help them.

Slade turned his glare back onto the masked boy. He was going to have to break his past apprentice of such selfless habits. Even if he had to break Robin in the process.

The sudden cry of pain wrenched from his apprentice, caused Slade to turn his attention back to the death match that was coming to an end.

Terra groaned as she was forced to her knees on ground, arms yanked painfully behind her back and held there. She leaned forward a little bit, and let drenched blonde hair fall around her face like a curtain. From the corner of her eye, she was able to have small peak over to her left and absently wiggled her fingers before trying once again to break free.

She curled her hands into tightly clenched fists and felt the familiar surge of her powers flooding back. An amber glow began to form between them, only to be shortly extinguished as she felt something sharp was held to her throat. Somehow he had managed to pick up a piece of one of his broken boomerangs, ready to use it to take her life if needed. Terra's blue eyes widened in fear as tears began to fall from them. She panicked and began to struggle again.

Standing behind the blonde, Robin eyed her futile attempts and released her. Just in time he was able to dodge a blow to his head and retaliated with a round house kick to the person behind him. The blow collided with a defending arm and the masked martial artist gritted his teeth in frustration when he heard that chuckle.

With one eye Slade watched with amusement as the Titan regained his balance and drop into a fighting stance. Lowering his raised arm, he decided to humor the boy a bit and did the same. They circled for a moment, staffs drawn and ready.

Terra scrambled backwards from the two, knowing it would be suicide to be caught in the middle of their battle. Neither of them bothered to look her way, and she was thankful. Their attention was only locked on to each other.

The earth mover briefly wondered if they were able to see through each other's mask. See each other's expression. From where she sat, Terra was unable to see the only visible part of her master's face. For all she knew it could have been another robotic imitation. But Robin had bared his teeth and sneered. The tension was so thick she felt like she were choking on it.

Unlike their previous battles, no words were exchanged between them as they fought. No taunts or promises of absolution. Robin didn't want to simply stop this man and bring him to justice. He wanted this monster in human form - dead.

Robin ignored the cries of pain coming from his joints, and savored the adrenaline rush pumping through his entire body. The faces of his friends also urged him on. No, they were more than just his team mates. To Robin who had lost both his mother and father, the Titans had of course been his family. Now, after all the events that had led to this point, the pain had finally hit home and he was breaking all over again.

He had managed to survive when his parents had been murdered. After all he had his mentor. Sure, it had been unbearable at first, forcing himself to attempt interact with his busy guardian or living in absolute solitude. Accompanied by emotions that did nothing to help him; feelings of guilt, shame, abandonment, and disbelief. This was why Robin never feared death. To him, life without those you love, was demise in its truest form.

"You've already lost, Robin," Slade says mockingly as they circle again. "Why don't you just give up?"

Much to his surprise, the youth did not bark back a retort. Nor did he launch himself forward to attack as he normally did. Instead, the Boy Wonder slowly reached for his mask. Both Slade and his current apprentice were momentarily shocked as uncovered ice blue eyes narrowed in cold anger.

"Because... I have nothing left to lose."

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Leaning against the side of the boat, Jinx absently dipped her hand into murky sea water and gazed up at the sky that was covered in thick with dark gray clouds. Soon it wouldn't be gray, but dark, or pitched black. She knew the rain would come soon as the temperature rapidly started to drop. If Robin was still alive, how much longer would he be able to last under these conditions? Was he injured at all? Would they have to travel all this way just to bury him alongside his friends?

Shivering at the thought, she sat back up and glanced over to her teammates who were seated next to her. Their companions - or escorts - were swimming quietly outside of the boat while slowly pulling it along. Much to Gizmo's protest about letting the motor rip, Aqualad had argued that the noise would draw unwanted attention. Grudgingly, the shorter boy had agreed and was now trying to fight off his boredom by trying to repair some of damaged gadgets.

She scooted up closer, getting a good look at the teen super hero Aqualad. Gizmo apparently had met him at the "Tournament of Heroes" where all of the contenders were made honorary Teen Titans. Well except for Gizmo, at the last minute Cyborg had taken his badge away; but what surprised her was that he had been offered one in the first place.

"Keep it up, maybe you'll make him spontaneously combust."

"Huh?"

Blinking, she tear her gaze away from the sub-mariner and focused on Gizmo who was frowning. Was he still upset about the whole brain-eating-leach thing? After yanking immaturely at her hair, she figured that couldn't be the reason.

"You're staring," he told her.

"So?"

Gizmo opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted when Aqualad raised his head above the waves to speak to them.

"We should be arriving at the mainland soon," the honorary Titan spoke calmly. "Are you sure we can locate Robin?"

Nodding, Gizmo proudly pat the radio he had kept in his breast pocket, "Yeah no problem. I'll be able to track down bird boy as long as he keeps his communicator on him."

"And what if it's not on him?"

"Then we go with Plan B."

Aqualad only stared back at him for a moment before diving back deep underwater. Quietly, recovering from his slight sea-sickness, Mammoth glanced over his shoulder to his other two teammates.

"So what's Plan B?"

Gizmo rolled his eyes.

"The hell if I know."

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It only took Slade a moment to recover from his shock. Just a couple seconds too late as he went flying backwards when the unmasked boy struck him with one powerful swing. Hitting the ground with a thud, the masked man quickly attempted to get back up until a light and solid weight moved to pin him down. Slade could have easily tossed him off if he wanted to, but his single eye narrowed in amusement as it met Robin's ice cold stare. He let out a barely audible purr from under his mask that surprisingly did not startle the boy straddling him. Before Slade could comment on the position, Robin was now leaning over him, holding down both his arms.

The Boy Wonder - who's face was now completely exposed - leaned closer until his own face was mere inches away from Slade's mask.

"What would you give me in return?" he asked, his voice was low and almost seductive. The tone prevented the criminal mastermind from kicking Robin off as he continued. "What would you offer me," he repeated again, "if I become your apprentice once more?"

A cold gauntlet reached up and brushed the side of his face, and Robin allowed the touch from his predator. He knew Slade would not attack him, not when the bird he had been wanting to cage was now perched on his finger.

"I would give you the world," he said arrogantly, "Everything I dominate in my path, I would share with you, Robin."

"What if I don't care for the world? What else would you offer?"

The eye narrowed in confusion. "What else is there?"

The now mask less boy smirked, reaching up he wrapped his gloved fingers over Slade's own.

"I want you."

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"Why are they stopping?" Mammoth asked as saw the two dolphins surface again. He was trying to not think about how hungry he was. Especially since he now had a craving for tuna. Some how sensing this, the dolphins swam further away from the boat out of reach from the human and squeaky like noises only Aqualad could understand.

The boy nodded and motioned them off. "They say there's too much floating debris for your boat to navigate through up ahead. We'll need to go around."

"Um, little mermaid, if we stay out here too long, whatever is left of Slade's goon patrol will find us."

Aqualad shot Gizmo another glare and tried to remind himself that he was a hero, an honorary Titan. It would not look good on his record if he were to drown the little snot and feed his body to the sharks.

"Couldn't you ask more of your friends to help us out?" Jinx asked, gesturing to the dolphins.

"That would take more time actually, and…" the sub-mariner turned his attention to his non-human companions who were chirping rather loudly all of a sudden.

"Hey!" Gizmo hissed, "Are they trying to tell everything in Jump that we're here? Would you tell them to shut up!?"

Frowning, Aqualad swam over the two while place a hand on both of their heads and began to communicate with them telepathically. The chirping ceased but they seemed obviously spooked.

"They say there's something lurking in the waters up ahead," Aqualad said as he moved back over to their boat. "Something inhuman and totally unrecognizable to this ocean."

The HIVE mercenaries grew silent, remembering the hulking inhuman foot soldiers they encountered on the bridge. Gizmo sat back and muttered something incoherent. Not even his two teammates actually understand all of it except for 'brdbrane' which probably referred to Robin.

"Well, we don't have much of a choice then, do we?" he finally said out loud. "Let's go around."

Once they were moving again, Jinx broke the silence, sitting down beside the boy scientist who was messing around with his tracker.

"Hey, Giz... think Robin will be pissed that we came back?"

"Pfft. Who cares how he feels? Besides, we're mercenaries - not heroes. So we're not saving that bird brain's ass for free."

"I call dibbs on the R-Cycle!" Mammoth spoke up suddenly.

"No way, I want it!"

"Too late, he called dibbs."

"Iheightufudgers!"

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Terra watched in horrified silence as the boy who had just kissed her earlier, make such a bold statement. 'I want you', the words made the blonde shiver as she couldn't help but watch them. Or watch Robin, tilted his head over to the side allowing those fingers touching him, brush over his parted lips.

Slade sat up slowly but allowed Robin to straddle his waist, and Terra could have swear she heard him purr when the teen began to nibble almost playfully an his index finger. She watched, transfixed, as those digits slid into boy's mouth, out and back in again, until they were coated with saliva. It disturbed her as Robin began to suck on those appendages like a child would a popsicle on a hot summer day, while making lewd noises in the back of his throat.

Her lips were tingling again, and she couldn't fathom why watching them was exciting her. She should have felt disgusted by such an act. She should have been shouting at Slade for wanting to replace her. Robin had been right after all, and she briefly recalled his proposal once again before stepping finally forward.

_'All right, Robin. I'll play your game for awhile,'_ she thought to herself while kneeling beside the former Titan Leader. _'But you're going to have to make it up to me with more than a kiss.'_

Robin sensing the newer apprentice's presence next to him, leaned back against her unwounded side. She allowed him to rest his head against her shoulder while fingers that could command the earth, began to work open the zippers and buckles of his suit. He turned his head, as Slade's fingers withdrew and began to nibble the blonde's ear, smirking as he felt the girl shiver in pleasure.

Narrowed blue eyes of both warm and cool shades, turned seductively over to Slade, to their master who was sitting motionless. He did not move, did not even seem to be breathing under his armor. For once, Slade, was ensnared by his own reflections.

**--------------------------**

**End of Three Way Mirror - Part 1**

**--------------------------**

**Author's Notes: **Rushed ending, but I promised I would eventually come back to continue this, sorry it just took me a couple years to actually do it ::sigh::


End file.
